number (roughly) will be infected.
That is: Does "flattening the curve" result in fewer infections? Or does it simply result in spreading out infections over time?
If the latter, then the only lives we're "saving" right now are those who would survive with appropriate medical treatment, but who (because of hospital overcrowding) will not get that needed treatment. That sliver isn't nothing (those are indeed lives saved), but it's not a huge number, I assume.
If it's the former, then we're actually reducing the number of infected/dead, which would result in a much larger number of lives "saved."
If anyone has a good article I can read about this, please share. I've been looking and really haven't found anything that explained it clearly enough.