flattening the curve from what i understood (and it makes a lot of sense if you live in a country where president said "number of respirators is a national secret") is to not have a great number of people needing respirators. because from stats thrown around (can't remember the number, take it as false) 5-10% of infected will need them to stay alive. if you have a lot of sick in short period of time, doctors will have to pick and choose who will get to live. and it is a shitty thing to make doctors do. so maybe it is better to lock it down, suffer in the economy and not make doctors fucked up for life because they had to say you get a respirator and you do not.