Flattening the curve can help slow down the spread of an infectious disease, thereby enabling the healthcare system to cope
The recent extension of the Movement Control Order by the Malaysian Government to 14th April 2020 reflects the urgency repeated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for nations around the world to curb the COVID-19 outbreak by “flattening the curve”.
This curve, in epidemiology, refers to the projected number of new cases over a period of time in relation to the capability of a healthcare system during an outbreak of an infectious disease.
Put it simply, if no intervention is put in place, the healthcare system will be overburdened by a sudden spike of many cases at once.
Thus, efforts to flatten the curve can help slow down the spread of the infection so that people who are infected can gain better access to care, and most crucially “so that the health system can cope and production of vital medical equipment can cope,” said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier.
Because a vaccine or specific medication is yet to be available and testing is still limited in many countries, the only means of flattening the curve as recommended by WHO is through collective actions by citizens.
Hence, strict public health measures that are implemented by governments across the globe require the people’s utmost cooperation, such as encouraging social distancing and imposing shelter-in-place orders.
Most importantly, flattening the curve will ease the pressure of those providing essential services, especially healthcare workers who have been on the frontline since the beginning of the outbreak.
