My state, Massachusetts, isn't posting very high numbers but they aren't testing very aggressively. The news was just bragging about the new Drive In Testing facilities opening up, except you have to have been either 1.In China/Italy/South Korea within the past 3 weeks or in direct contact with someone with an active diagnosis 2.) Have both a fever AND a cough 3.) Have a prescription from your PCP.
Well, a lot of people aren't having both a cough and a fever. Some people are starting with diarrhea. Some people have chills. Some people have a low grade temp for a few days, which subsides. Some people have shortness of breath with no cough. And a lot of people have no Primary Care Physician, so they can't get a prescription for testing. And if you never test anyone and no one gets a diagnosis, you have sick people with mild symptoms walking around in the community, infecting others. My husband is an ER doc and he has been flooded with panicked people with no symptoms showing up to get testing, just to clear their minds. They are using up all their PPE on testing, not treatment.
I have been sick for about 5 days. My doctor's office said they don't do testing, it sounds like Covid-19 but since my symptoms were mild, just stay home, yada, yada, yada. If my shortness of breath progresses to respiratory failure, go to the ER. Well, wouldn't it be nice for me to know for sure? I have 3 kids. My husband will be going back to the hospital in a few days. Meanwhile people are so over-worked by the constant inflammatory news, that people are telling me how I ashamed I should be of myself for getting exposed, accusing me of trying to murder my neighbors by getting my mail with a fever.
So, we won't even know about flattening unless testing is applied in a consistent manner across the board.