We are social creatures. Studies show: Closeness and physical contact are really good for us. In recent years, international research teams have discovered that for example hugging someone we like for 20 seconds significantly lowers our blood pressure and heart rate and reduces stress hormones. However, sometimes it’s simply better to distance yourself from other people. We feel this deeply during the Corona crisis: Since so far there is no vaccine or medication against the virus, the best solution is to keep your distance! According to the recommendations of renowned virologists, we need to keep at least 1.5 to 2 meters apart.
Right Now, Keeping Your Distance is the Best 'Medicine'
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"Until recently, we would never have believed that our adhesive tapes could ever become so important for floor markings. In the face of the Corona crisis, we’ve acted and donated 100 kilometers of social distancing tapes to where they are currently most needed: Hospitals," explains Dr. Norman Goldberg, CEO of tesa SE.
Keeps on rolling – At the tesa plant in Offenburg – the largest tesa production site in terms of volume –, more than 2,000 different articles are manufactured. Currently, the warning tapes – which are designed to attract attention – are in particularly high demand.
Aid Program
The provision of warning adhesive tapes is part of a large aid program that was just recently launched by the Beiersdorf Group, to which tesa belongs. Among other things, the company produces 1,000,000 liters of disinfectant on five continents for central public institutions and emergency services around the world.
In many areas of public life – for example in supermarkets, train stations, airports, and especially hospitals – colored adhesive tapes serve as floor markings and provide guidance for compliance with the distance rules. A large part of the so-called social distancing tapes, which currently appear everywhere, comes from the tesa plants in Offenburg (Germany) and Concagno (Italy). In the past, many companies used these adhesive tapes mainly to mark hazardous areas, for example, in warehouses and production sites.
"At present, our floor marking tapes are almost more widely known than we would like,"
… explains Dörte Besinger, who at tesa SE is responsible for the distribution of donations to hospitals. "We would all undoubtedly prefer it if the attention-grabbing strips were not required. Nevertheless, we were pleased to hear from many clinics that our adhesive tape arrived at the right place at exactly the right time and helped them with their important work."
Recently, tesa production had ‘reserved’ 3,000 of the popular rolls with a total length of 100 kilometers for the supply of the hospitals. Just one week after the launch of the offer, more than 30 hospitals in Germany were supplied. The first recipients include the university clinics in Hamburg (UKE), Berlin (Charité), Marburg, Cologne and Munich.
The Asklepios hospital in Hamburg Wandsbek thanks tesa with this post on Instagram. The hospital has received many meters of Social Distancing Tape as a gift. The tape is clearly visible on the floor and helps to keep the safety distance.
Body contact
Body contact is not only good for individuals, but also for group dynamics. Scientists discovered that there is less aggression in circles of friends where touching is normal and common. Even in sports teams, encouraging high-fiving and light slaps on the shoulder, back or butt apparently have a positive effect: Groups with plenty of physical contact show greater team spirit and are in many cases more motivated, more venturesome, and more successful.