New study shows effects of social distancing in 46 countries

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Social distancing can effectively prevent millions of COVID-19 cases, a new study found.

Researchers at UT's MD Anderson came to this conclusion by analyzing the spread of coronavirus before and after governments in 46 countries enacted social distancing rules.

They found that these polices to curb physical closeness prevented more than 1.5 million cases over a two week period in those countries.

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the Houston-area, a study like this shows flattening the curve is possible using simple measures like social distancing.

READ MORE: How the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in Texas since March

"It's good to know that, yes, people tell us, 'Social distance,' but then, you see some data-driven analysis done, showing that, in fact, (social distancing) has had an impact in the last couple of months," said Dr. Raghu Kalluri, professor of cancer biology at UT's MD Anderson. "And, in fact, infection rates were down."

The authors of the study hope the results will be used for further policy making.

WATCH: Why 6 feet? The science of social distancing

You'll still need to practice social distancing if you visit Texas State Parks. This is why experts recommend we stay six feet away from each other.