About Coronavirus 2020
Washingtonian is keeping you up to date on the coronavirus around DC.
We were curious about social distancing. It seems everyone is doing it. But how much is that? We polled more than a thousand people via Twitter and found an 86 percent drop in contact, as defined by the number of times per day you come within 6 feet of another person.
While this is a self-reported poll—and while most people don’t go around with tape measures to calculate the distance between themselves and their fellow humans—it does indeed still provide some good news.
We asked “How many people did you interact with in person (within 6 ft) on a normal day before the coronavirus?” The average answer pre-corona? Thirty people. After the virus? Four people. (Note: The poll was conducted March 27, before Maryland, Virginia, and the District issued stay-at-home orders.) The number of respondents was 1,086.
In fact, there’s reason to believe the drop-off could be even bigger. People’s estimates of their pre-corona social contact—30 people per day—may well be stingy: It’s a number a lot of folks could hit with a single trip on Metro or a couple of rides in their office buildings’ elevators. If so, it’s likely a lot of people have slashed their social contact by more than 86 percent.
One hopes the numbers translate into fewer Covid-19 cases in the DC area and that better late than never saves lives.
Since 2006, Catherine Merrill has served as CEO and Owner of Washingtonian Media, parent company of the flagship Washingtonian—the capital region’s leading magazine for nearly six decades, with more than 400,000 readers and five National Magazine Awards. She also oversees Washingtonian.com, which attracts over 3 million monthly page views, and the brand’s social platforms, reaching more than one million followers. Under her leadership, the company has expanded with Washingtonian Weddings, the Washingtonian Welcome Guide, Washingtonian Events—producer of nationally recognized, award-winning events—and Washingtonian Custom Media, a full-service content marketing agency. She is proud to be certified as a women-owned small business.
From 2002 to 2007, Ms. Merrill served as Director of Operations for Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), where she helped manage and collect 60 percent of the nation’s tolls—$2.7 billion a year—including the majority of the E-ZPass network. From 1995 to 2002, she was a partner in the worldwide management consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
Ms. Merrill is deeply engaged in the community and currently serves on the boards of Cornell University; Ford’s Theatre; the Board of Visitors for the School of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park; Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences; and The Merrill Family Foundation. She is a founding member and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, and sits on the National Advisory Council for the Trust for the National Mall.Her past board service includes roles as a trustee of the University of Maryland, College Park; the City and Regional Magazine Association; and the Greater Washington Board of Trade.
Ms. Merrill is a member and former chapter chair of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and remains active in the Economic Club of Washington and the Federal City Council.
Her media appearances include CNN, the Today show, FOX, MSNBC, and various Washington, D.C. area news outlets.
