# New Study Shows Thousands of Kentuckians Spared Thanks to Social Distancing

**LEX18 News · April 29, 2020**

Catherine Collins reported on research by Aaron Yelowitz and Charles Courtemanche estimating how social-distancing measures affected COVID-19 cases and deaths in Kentucky.

## Participants

- **LEX18 anchor:** Introduction and closing announcement
- **Catherine Collins:** LEX18 reporter
- **Aaron Yelowitz:** Professor of Economics, University of Kentucky

## Related research

[Read “Strong Social Distancing Measures in the United States Reduced the COVID-19 Growth Rate.”](/publications/2020-courtemanche-strong-social-distancing-measures-in-the-united-states-ufbsql3s/)

[View the original LEX18 story.](https://www.lex18.com/news/coronavirus/new-study-shows-thousands-of-kentuckians-spared-thanks-to-social-distancing)

## Generated spoken-word transcript

> **Transcript note:** This transcript was generated from the recording and may be imperfect. The recording is the authoritative source.

**00:00:00 — LEX18 anchor:** A study conducted by two University of Kentucky professors finds that social-distancing measures have worked to stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent deaths in the state. LEX18’s Catherine Collins talked with one of the professors about what can be learned from the study as businesses plan to reopen.

**00:00:17 — Catherine Collins:** Kentuckians have been staying home and social distancing from friends and family for weeks. But have those sacrifices worked to prevent the spread of coronavirus? A new study conducted by two University of Kentucky economics professors suggests that the answer is a firm yes.

**00:00:34 — Aaron Yelowitz:** Our main finding is that there would have been about ten times as many cases by April 25 had the measures not been in place.

**00:00:45 — Catherine Collins:** So instead of about 4,000 confirmed cases by April 25, Professor Aaron Yelowitz says the study found it would be more like 45,000 confirmed cases—and about 2,000 additional deaths.

**00:00:58 — Aaron Yelowitz:** The social-distancing measures, the stay-at-home orders, and the closing of dining at restaurants dramatically bent the curve and saved lives.

**00:01:10 — Catherine Collins:** Yelowitz and his colleague compared data from states and counties in the Midwest and South. Some took considerable action; some did not. They found that just banning large gatherings and closing schools wasn’t enough to stop the spread. The stay-at-home measures and closure of dine-in and entertainment businesses made the biggest difference.

**00:01:28 — Aaron Yelowitz:** We think that the other measures might simply lead to people substituting from one form of social interaction to another form of social interaction.

**00:01:37 — Catherine Collins:** As Kentucky moves forward with plans to begin reopening businesses on May 11, Yelowitz says he doesn’t believe it’s the right time.

**00:01:45 — Aaron Yelowitz:** I think it’s too early. I think, among other things, we can learn in this next month about how our neighbors do in terms of reopening.

**00:01:54 — Catherine Collins:** He wants to see proof of what will happen when some of the measures that have saved lives are lifted. In Lexington, Catherine Collins, LEX18 News.

**00:02:03 — LEX18 anchor:** To read more about the study and the data the researchers used to make their determinations, head to LEX18.com.