Sweden's character is well suited for social distancing and physical distancing. When Sweden in April issued new binding guidelines asking the citizens to reduce their social contacts and keep distance from others at all times, the cafés, shops and restaurants immediately organised the cues with distance.

Personal space is part of the non-verbal communication. It is the space surrounding each person, which all of a sudden is not a cultural or a personal behaviour, but the law.

Our Public zone is broadly more than 1.25 meters, and the Social zone where we do interact with another person is up to 1.25 meters. The Personal zone is roughly 0.60-1.25 meters. And the very Intimate zone where you become very uncomfortable if any but closest family break the barrier, is up to about 0-0.60 meters. However the discrepancy is remarkable even within Europe. The further north you are the more physical distance.

Will the zones expand worldwide? Will you push all strangers and acquaintances out to the Public zone far beyond 1.25 meters permanently? Will handshakes, hugs, kisses and physical contact be replaced with new greetings, new Social codes?

Swedes like to keep a remarkably wide so-called interpersonal distance. Will the personal zone expand? Swedes' Social zone was about 1.25 meters prior to the Corona outburst. The Mediterraneans Social zone were less than 0.6 meters. People always try not to break those barriers. But how will the pandemic affect them, will the already distant Nordic people keep their Public zone and the Mediterraneans expand their Public zone?