“The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, whose modeling of the pandemic the White House has used, predicts up to about 415,000 deaths by Feb. 1, even with current restrictions continuing.”
The New York Times
On the one hand, we cannot continue with the current restrictions, much less with complete lock downs, which the world cannot afford. The current lockdowns will end the world as we know it, or “Pandemic Fatigue” will make them pointless and will cause both life and money losses.
On the other hand, to reduce the choice as an either/or election between economy and health as an exclusionary factor is a fallacy.
COVID19 has a cascade of negative consequences: Not only is it the many deaths, nor the economic inactivity, but also the lasting symptoms of Long COVID disease, which results in inability to work and a largely negative aftermath in the economy as a consequence. These consequences, as well as the post-COVID sequelae that many will be dragging with them for the rest of their lives, will affect everyone, especially future generations. Death also results in economic loss. Loss of life is also translated into economic losses, each person who dies represents a loss, not only emotionally and socially, but also a loss in economic contributions to the world.
Therefore, total confinement is not an option, but betting on herd immunity to rescue the economy, is not an option either.
How could we live, then, with the virus (which has come to stay) while we find an effective vaccine applied to everyone in the long term?
Open parks, play grounds, allow people to go to the mountains, to the beach, to the forest, to play sports. Let the children play outside, open spaces outdoors to teach, to practice sports in groups, for company meetings. Establish and enable life in low-risk environments and control access to high-risk spaces.
The only way out is to take charge of the pandemic.
