NOW is the time to help flatten the curve and keep students home! The main uncertainty in the coronavirus outbreak in the USA now is how big it will get, and how fast. In the past few days, we’ve seen cases jump dramatically. The speed at which the outbreak plays out matters hugely for its consequences. What epidemiologists fear most is the health care system becoming overwhelmed by a sudden explosion of illness that requires more people to be hospitalized than it can handle.

Flattening the curve means that all the social distancing measures (now being deployed in places like JMU, VCU, VT, UVA, and at least 8 Virginia Universities) aren’t so much about preventing illness but rather slowing down the rate at which people get sick. The CDC is stating that symptoms may not appear until 2-14 days after exposure.

Remember, America’s hospitals and doctors are already dealing with their usual caseloads during a pretty bad flu season. Now they have to be ready to handle any Covid-19 patients who come their way. There are serious concerns about the US system’s capacity to handle a severe outbreak. Covid-19 is a respiratory illness and in its most serious stages can require patients with pneumonia to be put on a ventilator. But there might not be enough ventilators to meet that need if the outbreak becomes too widespread.

Staying home helps prevent the US health system from being overloaded. Please sign, share and send this to our representatives! Thank you.

Here is more information about flattening the curve: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/10/21171481/coronavirus-us-cases-quarantine-cancellation?fbclid=IwAR3yMuihZaIjnBUEI5_kMGbp1Ss5H8QzM14qmQPZLjPsaSJO6nqkJvjsPgA