What does 'flatten the curve' mean? Expert explains why staying apart is saving lives

NEW ORLEANS — Doctors and health officials need your help now.

As the number of diagnosed COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Louisiana rises, doctors are asking the public to help them “flatten the curve.” But what does that mean?

“They’re limited by the number of beds they have, ventilators they have, intensive care beds they have, and so our job as a community in New Orleans and across Louisiana is to make sure that hospital system is well prepared to handle the patients and the way we do that is by what we call flattening the curve,” Dr. Frank Welch, Medical Director of the Bureau of Community Preparedness for Louisiana, said.

This is why proper hand washing, social distancing and staying out of large crowds is so important. We need to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus from person to person so our hospitals, doctors and nurses can keep up with the demand.

Remember, they’re still treating people for heart attacks, delivering babies and everything else that makes up the normal workload of a doctor or nurse.

“Hospitals have been preparing for a pandemic for about 20 years,” Dr. Welch said. “We used those surge capacities after Hurricane Katrina if we get to that point the hospitals are going to do that as well.”

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So elective surgeries, such as knee replacements or cosmetic surgeries, are being canceled. Doctors are using telemedicine to treat patients for minor health needs and drive-thru coronavirus testing will begin soon.

If that doesn’t free up enough hospital space, you’ll see medical tents like New Orleans used after Hurricane Katrina.

“The vast majority of people who get COVID-19, they think upwards of 80 to 85%, do not get sick enough to even call their doctor,” Dr. Welch said. “They just think they have a mild cold.”

But still, two out of every 100 people will become gravely ill. And 20 out of 100 will need treatment from a doctor.

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