Flatten the curve

Flattening the Coronavirus Curve

One chart explains why slowing the spread of the infection is nearly as important as stopping it.
What does it mean to “flatten the curve”?

The ideal goal in fighting an epidemic or pandemic is to completely halt the spread. But merely slowing it — mitigation — is critical. This reduces the number of cases that are active at any given time, which in turn gives doctors, hospitals, police, schools and vaccine-manufacturers time to prepare and respond, without becoming overwhelmed. Most hospitals can function with 10 percent reduction in staff, but not with half their people out at once.Some commentators have argued for getting the outbreak over with quickly. That is a recipe for panic, unnecessary suffering and death. Slowing and spreading out the tidal wave of cases will save lives. Flattening the curve keeps society going.

What exactly do those two curves show?
Both curves add up the number of new cases over time. The more people reporting with the virus on a given day, the higher the curve; a high curve means the virus is spreading fast. A low curve shows that the virus is spreading slower — fewer people are diagnosed with the disease on any given day. Keeping the curve down — diminishing the rate at which new cases occur — prevents overtaxing the finite resources (represented by the dotted line) available to treat it.Think of the health care system capacity as a metro car that can only hold so many people at once. During rush hour, that capacity is not enough to handle the demand, so people must wait on the platform for their turn to ride. Staggering work hours diminishes the rush hour and increases the likelihood that you will get on the train and maybe even get a seat. Avoiding a surge of coronavirus cases can ensure that anyone who needs care will find it at the hospital.

What You Can Do

'Experts’ understanding of how the virus spreads is still limited, but there are four factors that most likely play a role: how close you get; how long you are near the person; whether that person projects viral droplets on you; and how much you touch your face.

If your community is affected, you can help reduce your risk and do your part to protect others by following some basic steps:

Wash your hands! Scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and then dry them with a clean towel or let them air dry.

Keep distance from sick people. Try to stay six feet away from anybody showing flu- or cold-like symptoms, and don’t go to work if you’re sick.

Prepare your family, and communicate your plan about evacuations, resources and supplies. Experts suggest stocking at least a 30-day supply of any needed prescriptions. Consider doing the same for food staples, laundry detergent etc . 

All this seems a little far fetched but its not that hard. We can flatten the curve by simply following the above steps and get over with it quickly by not exerting any unwanted pressure on our healthcare system.

I urge you all for one last time to stay indoors as much as possible by doing this we show our family and all the people on this planet that we care because  "ALL LIVES MATTER ". 

-Abhay.s.k