Social distancing and stay-at-home measures instituted across the country may have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, according to the findings of one study.

Researchers at the Urban Health Collaborative at the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University sought to find out how many lives were affected in a positive way due to social distancing rules that were implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the nation’s 30 highest populated cities. According to their findings, stay-at-home orders (versus taking a course of having done nothing at all) likely prevented an additional 232,878 deaths within the combined populations of those jurisdictions.

In addition to the total number of deaths that were likely prevented, stay-at-home orders also likely resulted in 2.1 million fewer coronavirus-related hospital visits as well.

Jennifer Kolker, associate dean for public health practice at the Dornsife School, said […]