Flattening the curve: Virologist warns it’s ‘too early’ to celebrate falling COVID-19 cases

The federal government yesterday expressed mild optimism about the slowing of COVID-19 infection in Australia, and Premier Daniel Andrews today echoed the same sentiment at a state level.

It comes as 56 new cases of the coronavirus were recorded in Victoria today, down from 84 cases yesterday and 111 on Saturday.

But virologist from the University of Queensland, Professor Ian Mackay, said it’s “too early to say” whether the spread of coronavirus is slowing.

“Let me just stress that everything we’re doing now needs to keep going for weeks, if not months, in order to make sure whatever we’re seeing now, whatever little trends we’re seeing, are maintained or increased,” Professor Mackay told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.

“We have seen a little bit of slowing down, day-on-day.

“It could mean nothing, it could mean something.

“It’s too early to make too many conclusions about that yet.”

Professor Mackay said the decline in COVID-19 cases should be sustained for weeks, not days, before we can declare that Australia is succeeding in flattening the curve.

“We’re in it for the long haul,” he said.

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