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

Mar 16, 2020

Raymond Determann, a King County Metro equipment service worker, sprays a Virex solution to sanitize buses against the coronavirus in Seattle, Washington, U.S. March 5, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Redmond - RC23EF9SGN94

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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