Why it is time to look beyond flattening the curve – and start getting ahead of it

But what if this positive difference actually leads to an unintended yet misleading distraction? And what if, by only focusing on flattening the curve, we are losing sight of what’s happening beyond it: the curves to come?

I believe the typical curve represents a skewed reality, assuming as it does that interventions are capable of preventing the healthcare system from breaching its maximum capacity. But to me, the line representing ‘healthcare capacity’ is the misleading part. Because while it is true for ICU-capacity – for which these graphs are often applied – it suggests these measures also impact total capacity.

The true picture is