Flattening the curve

Flattening the curve refers to the public health strategy of slowing down the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The "curve" refers to the projected number of people who will contract COVID-19 over a period of time. The goal of flattening the curve is to prevent a surge of COVID-19 cases that would overwhelm the healthcare system.

Overview

The concept of "flattening the curve" is grounded in the field of epidemiology. It illustrates the idea that slowing the spread of the virus can lead to a lower peak number of cases, and spread out the total number of cases over a longer period of time. This allows healthcare providers to better manage the same volume of patients.

Strategies for Flattening the Curve

There are several strategies that can be employed to flatten the curve. These include social distancing, quarantine, isolation, and hand hygiene. These measures can reduce the rate of new infections, and thus flatten the curve.

Social Distancing

Social distancing involves reducing close contact between individuals to prevent the spread of the virus. This can include measures such as working from home, closing schools and other public places, and cancelling public events.

Quarantine

Quarantine involves separating and restricting the movement of people who have been exposed to the virus to see if they become sick. This can prevent the spread of the virus from people who are infected but do not yet show symptoms.

Isolation

Isolation involves separating people who are infected with the virus from people who are not infected. This can prevent the spread of the virus from people who are infected and may be contagious.

Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene involves washing hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. This can kill the virus if it is on the hands.

Impact of Flattening the Curve

Flattening the curve can help to prevent healthcare systems from becoming overwhelmed. It can also buy time for the development and production of treatments and vaccines.

See Also

• Pandemic
• Epidemic
• Herd immunity

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