The writer is the mayor of Stockholm

Few movie scenes do a better job of conveying frustration than the traffic jam that opens the comedy Office Space. Drivers inch along a California highway in a pathetic dance of honking and changing lanes. Yet this quotidian nuisance could be mitigated with the same strategy that is being used to fight the pandemic.

“Flattening the curve” aims to distribute the number of new Covid-19 infections over time. Social distancing and mask-wearing slow the spread of the virus so that ventilators, beds and healthcare workers do not become overwhelmed. Infrastructure — from hospitals and highways to power grids — fails when demand exceeds peak capacity. By “scheduling” healthcare demand, flattening the curve has saved lives.