Vice President, and public transportation enthusiast, Joe Biden, told the Today show that he would tell family members to stay off subways and airplanes to avoid exposure to the swine flu. “It's not just going to Mexico, if you're in a confined aircraft and one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft,” Biden said. His advice goes beyond current government recommendations that U.S. travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico, and that people with flu symptoms stay home to avoid spreading the virus. His office later backtracked, according to NBC.

What Biden suggested, though, is a part of infectious disease control known as “social distancing,” which calls for limiting close face-to-face contacts, from about 3 to 6 feet, in order to limit the risks of exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people “follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.” But specific recommendations generally come from local health authorities. In certain communities, we may hear recommendations for greater social distancing if the virus spreads widely enough.