Another look at Flattening the Curve of COVID-19

I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, here, but I really want this public health idea of “Flattening the Curve” regarding COVID-19 (aka. Coronavirus) and the pandemic that is now facing the globe to be understood thoroughly. Here’s another graphic for you to look at:

The red curve represents the spread of the disease if we do nothing and just allow it to spread. Notice the peak is very high and that it would overwhelm the healthcare system and cause it to collapse. This means that no one would get any medical care, pandemic-related or not. Appendicitis, trauma surgeries, and sepsis would all be just as Impossible to treat as a case of COVID-19 in this scenario. Doctors would have to choose who to treat, and they would go with those more likely to survive with treatment. No doctor wants to have to make a decision such as this, but in Italy, that’s exactly what’s happening. I feel for the Italian people and their predicament. May God help you all.

Now, the green curve represents our efforts to “Flatten the Curve”. I want you to understand something here. “Flattening the Curve” does NOT mean that fewer people will get sick, nor does it mean that fewer people will die when all is said and done. It DOES mean that the healthcare system will be able to better care for the seriously ill, however it also means that the pandemic will last LONGER. Now, don’t panic over what I just said. I’m simply trying to get people used to the idea that this isn’t a quick or easy fix. We have to work together to “Flatten the Curve” so that we all have a better chance of surviving COVID-19 and this pandemic. This is going to take patience, compassion, sharing of resources, and basic humanity to conquer. I know we can accomplish this if everybody just tries. Life is the most precious gift we have, and we should live in such a way as to prolong everybody’s lives as well as our own. Yes, this social distancing and social isolation is hard. Trust me, I know. The economic impact is shaping up to be a potentially formidable challenge, too. As long as we are ALIVE, though, we can recover from all of these hardships and learn from this so that we are better prepared in the future. Just work together. Please. For everyone’s sake. And take heart. A vaccine is currently being tested in Seattle. Let’s pray that it works!