Covid and exponents

Countries that have flattened the curve have much to thank diligent use of masks, soaps and sanitisers, and the fact wealthy nations can afford to maintain distance. In that context, I fear for India

An economist friend was in Brazil in early 1990 when the country was wracked by hy­perinflation. The monthly in­flation rates we­re 72 per cent each for January and Fe­b­ruary and 81 per cent for March. Thus, something costing 100 Brazilian reals on December 31, 1989, became 535 by March 31, 1990. On payday, everyone rushed to buy essential household supplies before prices went up in the next 24 hours. It led to my friend’s observation that hyperinflation made every Brazilian understand exponents.

Any rapidly contagious pandemic go­es through a period of exponential proli­feration. It follows an elongated S curve. In