How the Virus Got Out

Nice graphics.

This is the best site I've found for finding up to date stats and viewing time history per country (and in the US, per state): https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

I marvel that China has so effectively stopped its spread. It seems like China has flattened the curve to near zero such that reportedly they are closing the corona-specific ICUs they had hastily put up. But what is the long term plan? Keep everyone clamped down until a vaccine or cure is developed? The vast majority of people still haven't been exposed so more explosive outbreaks will occur.

Just like controlled burns are a risky but effective strategy to prevent worst case wildfires, it seems to my ignorant self that ideally just enough mixing would be allowed so that new infections occur at a rate just below the level the medical system can handle, and while that occurs, the production of critical resources and infrastructure can be ramped up in case the controlled burn gets too active.

What am I missing?