Hospital Capacity

A person who recovers from mild illness without needing hospital care places less burden on the healthcare system than someone who becomes severely ill. Flattening the curve means slowing the rate of spread so that the number of people requiring care at any one time remains within hospital capacity. Even if most people recover from coronavirus, a large simultaneous wave of infections can overwhelm hospitals with limited beds, staff, and equipment. The goal of curve-flattening is not to prevent all infections but to reduce severe cases, limit transmission to vulnerable people, and prevent sudden spikes that overwhelm healthcare systems.