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(epidemiology,colloquial) To reduce the rate at which an infection spreads during an epidemic, decreasing the number of active cases at any given time by increasing the period of time over which numbers of similar cases occur.
2020 April 6, Robert Cuffe, Christine Jeavans, “Coronavirus: When will we know if the UK lockdown is working?”, in BBC News:
It is possible that these measures could have started to flatten the curve of deaths before the effects of the wider lockdown were visible.
Usage notes
The curve represents the total number of currently infected (y-axis) over time (x-axis). A flattened curve shows a gently sloped hill of a graph, while one that was not flattened shows a steep-sided mountain of a graph. The goal of flattening the curve is to reduce peak infections so as to stay within the capacity of the healthcare system to treat the infected, allowing all who need treatment to receive it.
