coronavirus

Why is Social Distancing So Important? This Viral ‘Scrubs' Clip Will Explain

It all starts with a sneeze.

Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes and Neil Flynn as the Janitor.
Chris Haston/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Here's another reminder of why social distancing is so important amid the coronavirus outbreak.

A clip from a 2006 episode of the sitcom "Scrubs" went viral this weekend, and it explains how a simple sneeze can potentially lead to illness.

The scene is from the opening of the episode "My Cabbage," and features actor Ken Jenkins (as Dr. Kelso) explaining that the number one cause of death in a hospital is "infection."

Jump to a quick cut of a boy sneezing into his hands and his mother cleaning his nose with a tissue. Her hand turns green, showing the way the bacteria is spreading, and she shakes a doctor's hand. Now the doctor's hand is green, and he bumps into a nurse. Together, they help pick up some papers the doctor has dropped, and now the nurse's hand is green. She taps a patient on the shoulder and now the patient's arm is green.

"And just like that, you have a patient in trouble," said Kelso.

Several people began sharing the clip on Twitter. "Scrubs" stars Zach Braff and John C. McGinley also retweeted it.

Health care practitioners urge the public to practice hand-washing and social distancing.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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