Now that the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the illness it causes, are spreading among communities in the United States and other countries, phrases such as “physical distancing,” “self-quarantine” and “flattening the curve” are showing up in the media. What do they mean, and how might they apply to you, your family and your community? Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H. , senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins, helps clarify these concepts so you can understand better why they’re being recommended.