Why ‘flattening the curve’ is so important in the fight against coronavirus

Mar 16, 2020

The U.S. is frequently sanitising buses and subways to prevent further infection by the coronavirus. Image: REUTERS/Jason Redmond

Matthew McQueen

Director, Public Health Program and Associate Professor of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder

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Flattening the curve is another way of saying buying more time. Image: The Conversation

'Flattening the curve' relates to the control of a pandemic so the number of cases doesn't overwhelm a health system immediately. Image: World Economic Forum

Social distancing means things like games being played in stadiums empty of fans. Image: The Conversation

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