Don't trigger the coronavirus trap: Ping pong balls demonstrate the perils of not social distancing during the crisis

A clever public service announcement uses ping pong balls to show the dangers of not practicing social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Ohio Health Department's 'Flatten the Curve' PSA includes footage of a ping pong ball when its dropped on to a grid of other ping pong balls with little room between them.

The balls are resting on mouse traps that are set and ready to go off on contact.

PSA shows how social distancing works by using ping pong balls

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An Ohio Health Department PSA on the dangers of not social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak starts out with a single ping pong ball suspended over a grid of balls 

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The PSA shows little space between the ping pong balls, which are sitting on mouse traps that are set to go off

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Once the singe ball drops, it makes contact with the others and sets the traps off

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The video shows the traps snapping and balls bouncing everywhere

As a ball is suspended above the grid and dropped, it makes contact with the other balls and sets off the traps.

The results takes several seconds, showing balls bouncing everywhere as traps snap and fly into the air. 

Ohio has had more than 5,878 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 231 deaths.

Across the country, there have been more than 490,400 confirmed cases and more than 18,000 deaths.

The PSA name refers to the often said expression, 'flatten the curve,' which is how health officials describe slowing the rate of infection.

The act of social distancing typically requires people to keep at least 6 feet away from others.

With more than 18,000 Americans dead from the virus, also known as COVID-19, projections show today will be the peak day for fatalities amid the pandemic.

The new estimates brought forward the peak day of deaths by two days to April 10 with 1,983 people predicted to die from the coronavirus on Friday.

The projections were released on Friday by forecasters at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation - a model often cited by the White House coronavirus task force.