The latest on Covid-19

You've likely started to hear public health experts and officials discuss the importance of "flattening the curve." Here's a story from STAT's infectious diseases reporter Helen Branswell about what that means — and why it's so important to keeping people safe.

Here's what else is happening with the outbreak:

• Testing: There's another issue with U.S. testing capacity: shortages of key chemicals needed to run the tests.
• Nursing homes: Leaders of the nursing home industry told the New York Times that visitors to the facilities should be screened and that only essential visits be allowed. 
• Cancellations: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders both called off events set for Tuesday in Cleveland. More universities also moved classes online and told students not to return after spring break.
• In states: Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York was imposing a 3-square-mile "containment area" in New Rochelle for two weeks. In Massachusetts, the Boston Globe tracked how a Biogen conference spread the virus.
• FDA inspections: The FDA said it was postponing most of its inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities.