What is the History of Social Distancing

While social distancing is a common phrase used in recent periods, the concept is ancient and as mass pandemics have developed in different periods, it has been the most effective and common form of practices. Some history of this practice is given.

Early History

The earliest evidence for social distancing come from the early 2nd millennium BCE, where texts from the ancient Syrian city of Mari indicate individuals with infections, perhaps a form of flu or fever, were placed in isolation and were told to keep away from others. While no evidence indicates this was a widespread practice during a pandemic, it does indicate knowledge of distancing of individuals with infections can be traced to at least the early 2nd millennium BCE and likely earlier. Medical texts from the 3rd millennium BCE discuss treatments that may include isolation, but it is unclear if social distancing was practiced. More commonly, social distancing began to develop as a form of class differentiation. Societies in the Old World, including India, China, the Near East, Greece, and Egypt all developed some forms of social distancing between lower classes, or even slaves, and upper classes. Clothing, how the hair was groomed, beards, or even physical marks were all used as ways to keep people away from each other. There are some connections to health that may have motivated this distancing, as outbreaks were probably more likely to form in the classes who had less access to clean water, but over time this would have developed into purely a class-based action.