flattened the curve
Reduced peak infections
Flattened the curve means slowed the spread of a contagious disease so that infections occur over a longer period rather than all at once.
The phrase became ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic, referring to efforts—social distancing, masks, lockdowns—aimed at preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed.
The "curve" is a graph plotting infections over time; flattening it spreads cases out without necessarily reducing total infections.
We flattened the curve but at tremendous economic cost.
- social distancingDeliberate interpersonal spacing
- stay homeNot go anywhere
- lockdownsEnforced public restrictions
- mask mandatesRequired public face coverings
- wash your handsRemove germs with soap
ventilators · herd immunity · pandemic · quarantine · outbreak · hospital capacity · ICU beds · healthcare workers · essential workers · school closures · statistical analysis · vaccination · data visualization · contact tracing · travel restrictions · public awareness campaigns · telemedicine · R-naught
flattened the curveexponential growth
Quantity multiplying proportionally over time
let it rip · spiked · surge · went viral
flattened the curvehealthcare rationing
Limiting medical services distribution
flattened the curveexponential growth
Quantity multiplying proportionally over time
skyrocketed · spiked · exploded · compounded · snowballed
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