The concept is simple. As more people get sick, more people will recover. As more people recover, more people will become immune.

As the coronavirus spreads, there’s one factor in particular that will make a big difference. A difference in how severely the virus will affect the population going forward.

Dr. Jose Campo Maldonado, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, says social distancing has made a difference in just how quickly the virus is spreading.

“We don't have broad immunity in the community to protect other people. That's what we call herd immunity,” said Dr. Maldonado.

Once people become part of the immune herd after recovering, those individuals will be the ones to protect others who don’t have immunity.

Watch the video above for the full explanation.