The Government needs your help to flatten the curve – that is, to reduce the number of cases of coronavirus and give hospitals more time to prepare for patients with the disease.
The protective measures the Australian Government has introduced include self-isolation, or staying at home to prevent the possible spread of the virus. It’s important to note the virus could be asymptomatic for some people (people can have the virus, but still feel fine). This makes it even more dangerous, because some people may unknowingly pass it onto their vulnerable family members, friends or colleagues before displaying any symptoms.
The University is doing its best to keep your studies as uninterrupted as possible by moving your units digitally and remotely.
Flatten the curve – explaining the graph
The graph shows the number of cases of disease on the Y axis (going up) against time along the X axis (going across). There are two different curves.
The red curve is very tall and steep. This shows that lots of people can get the disease in a short space of time if we don't take protective measures and continue on as normal. In this situation the healthcare system will quickly become overwhelmed and will struggle to treat everybody in need.
The blue curve is much flatter. This shows what can happen if we take protective measures, such as staying at home whenever possible. In this situation, although lots of people still get the disease, the cases are spread out over a much longer timeframe. This is very important because it means that the healthcare system doesn't get overwhelmed – everybody gets the treatment that they need and our medical staff and support workers are less at risk.