Quarantine was never quite right.

Reopening isnt an accurate term either.

I think thats because we cant name that which we can barely wrap our minds around.

I first recall hearing the termsocial distancingin the context of Chinese officials canceling New Year celebrations in February.

Whats the word for staying at home?

Colloquially, a lot of us talk aboutquarantine: #QuarantineLife,quarantinis.

Meanwhile, somebody who is showing symptoms getsisolated.

And yet isolation is also an everyday word implying loneliness.

So we talk aboutself-isolatingeven outside the context of illness.

If youre all by yourself in your apartment, you sure feel isolated.

But another aspect includes the government regulations that mandate, for example, the closure of businesses.

These arent quiteshelter-in-place orders, because that termcomes from dangers like active shootersand potential radioactive fallout.

Astay-at-home orderis closer to the truth, but in many places its fine to go for a walk.

Its not quite right to call it alockdownor ashutdowneither.

Whats the word for the thing that comes next?

Quarantine, in the health sense, is an on-or-off state.

A lockdown ends when you unlock the door.

But thats not whats going to happen now.

Cities, states and countries will ease restrictionsif not now, then someday soon.

We already make tradeoffs: hospitals and grocery stores are still open.

Family members get to quarantine (or whatever were calling it) together.

Even before we fully control the virus, some restrictions may have to be eased.

This, too, will be unprecedented: Should restaurants reopen first, or last?

Where should schools fall on the spectrum?

When can hospitals resumeelective procedures?

If nobody is stopping you fromvisiting friends, when should you consider it safe to do so?

We were living our normal lives, and then suddenly everything went dark.

But that doesnt mean we can flip the switch back the other way just as suddenly.

We need a new word for this.

The WHO talks abouteasing restrictions.

Some governors speak ofphasesorlevels.

What should we be calling all of this?

How about for starting to be near people again while a deadly disease is still circulating?

What have you been calling either of these phenomena?

If you could invent a new word, what would it be?