CHARLOTTE — After a month of social distancing, it appears North Carolinians are getting a case of what experts call “quarantine fatigue.”
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“It’s a struggle to keep busy these days,” said uptown resident Mary McDonough. After feeling cooped up, she said she’s always looking for excuses to get outside more.
And, she is not alone.
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“It’s a little more difficult convincing myself to stay inside because the weather is so nice,” said fellow uptown resident Somer Dice.
When the stay-at-home orders went into effect, researchers at the University of Maryland believe people followed the rules for about four weeks.
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“Everyone who can and wanted to practice social distancing started to,” said Lei Zhang, who heads up the project.
New data compiled by Zhang and his team show people are leaving their homes, counties, and even traveling longer distances than in previous weeks.
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“We saw a nearly 10-point drop in our social distancing index,” Zhang explained.
The lower the index score, the more people aren’t abiding by the guidelines. It’s a tool that’s free for the public and government officials to access, using privacy-protected data from mobile devices and health care systems.
The Mecklenburg County Health Department said it is monitoring publicly available data to understand how mobility is changing in the county.
While the University of Maryland shows a point system, other data from Unacast -- which uses similar information -- ranks Mecklenburg County’s social distancing at a “C-.”
That’s a drastic drop from the “B” grade this time last month. Overall, North Carolina received a “D-.”
According to Uncacast, Gaston, Catawba, Lincoln, Rowan, Iredell, Union, Burke and Stanly counties all received an “F” grade.
Zhang is clear to point out it’s not just North Carolina -- other states are seeing a similar trend right now. Experts warn we have to stay the course.
“It’s not easy staying home,” Zhang said.
“Ultimately, it comes down to respecting your fellow person and the space they need,” added Dice.
The data from the University of Maryland and Unacast is updated daily, so the grades can vary.
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