That’s not what flatten the curve meant. All it meant was to not all get sick at once so people got proper care. By definition it meant a longer period for the same amount of people getting sick.
Well, yes and no: if you presume the same amount of people would be getting sick, then flattening the curve would indeed necessarily spread it out. But the “two weeks” thing was at least partially in hopes of stopping the spread entirely and thus reducing the total number of people getting sick.
Two weeks to flatten the curve turned into five years.
That’s not what flatten the curve meant. All it meant was to not all get sick at once so people got proper care. By definition it meant a longer period for the same amount of people getting sick.
Well, yes and no: if you presume the same amount of people would be getting sick, then flattening the curve would indeed necessarily spread it out. But the “two weeks” thing was at least partially in hopes of stopping the spread entirely and thus reducing the total number of people getting sick.