Very soon, lockdown will be causing more deaths than the virus:

Nice to hear some practical common sense on the topic.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I never wanted us to be in this place in the first place - we should have done more to keep the virus out in the first place.

However, we have now got into the place where the supposed cure is worse than the virus itself. This virus kills people in certain groups, chiefly the old and those with other conditions, including type-2 diabetes (which itself is related to obesity).

So we need to shield those who are vulnerable, get the testing and contact tracing ramped up and then to get the economy and society for the rest of us functioning as close to normally as is possible.

I have linked to a variety of articles explaining the overkill in the current position.

Here is a related piece from the Lancet:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31035-7/fulltext

"...

In summary, COVID-19 is a disease that is highly infectious and spreads rapidly through society. It is often quite symptomless and might pass unnoticed, but it also causes severe disease, and even death, in a proportion of the population, and our most important task is not to stop spread, which is all but futile, but to concentrate on giving the unfortunate victims optimal care."

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Ok, so you accept there will be more deaths. Again, then, how much is a human life worth? How many lives will need to be sacrificed so the economy can get going again? Or (I'd accept this as an answer) if cases take off again would you also lock down again?.

Originally Posted by: Devonian 

That is a pointless question, because the answer is from anywhere on a scale from nothing to priceless - the question is designed to put someone on the spot, rather than to reveal any underlying truth.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Simple question for you - is the life of a 95 year old worth more or less than the life of a 5 year old?

My antibody test results are in! Not the result I was hoping for, but there you go... can't win 'em all!

SARS-CoV-2 Virus IgG Antibody. Processed on Abbott Architect ci8200 analyser

Originally Posted by: Retron 

That is a pity - so I wonder what you did have.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I've thought about this. I think once you start treating a life as of different value to another you are on very problematic path. Humanity has been at different positions down that path over history.

Originally Posted by: Devonian 

With no lockdown I see no reason why the virus would not take out 1% of us - that would be several 100K...

Originally Posted by: Devonian 

But any one of us could be confronted with the situation - the classic example is a sinking ship and you can only rescue one passenger - do you save the child or the elderly adult? We all know the answer to that question, since any sane person would rescue the child first, so we do value a child's life ahead of someone who already has one foot in the grave, whether prepared to openly admit it or not.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

So the only options are lockdown or no lockdown.
We could do most of the distancing without closing half the economy, and bankrupting swathes of small businesses for good.
At the same time been more serious about shielding the elderly who are the only ones actually dying at much above background rate.

Originally Posted by: four 

Here, here. 

MM why don’t you tell us. What is your value of a life? All you’ve gone on about is the economy. So let’s have it, what is acceptable to you?

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

My antibody test results are in! Not the result I was hoping for, but there you go... can't win 'em all!

SARS-CoV-2 Virus IgG Antibody. Processed on Abbott Architect ci8200 analyser

Originally Posted by: Retron 

But any one of us could be confronted with the situation - the classic example is a sinking ship and you can only rescue one passenger - do you save the child or the elderly adult? We all know the answer to that question, since any sane person would rescue the child first, so we do value a child's life ahead of someone who already has one foot in the grave, whether prepared to openly admit it or not.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I never wanted us to be in this place in the first place - we should have done more to keep the virus out in the first place.

However, we have now got into the place where the supposed cure is worse than the virus itself. This virus kills people in certain groups, chiefly the old and those with other conditions, including type-2 diabetes (which itself is related to obesity).

So we need to shield those who are vulnerable, get the testing and contact tracing ramped up and then to get the economy and society for the rest of us functioning as close to normally as is possible.

I have linked to a variety of articles explaining the overkill in the current position.

Here is a related piece from the Lancet:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31035-7/fulltext

"...

In summary, COVID-19 is a disease that is highly infectious and spreads rapidly through society. It is often quite symptomless and might pass unnoticed, but it also causes severe disease, and even death, in a proportion of the population, and our most important task is not to stop spread, which is all but futile, but to concentrate on giving the unfortunate victims optimal care."

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I've said from the start that Covid-19 has reduced CO2 emissions to a far greater extent than Greta has - she's almost redundant in that respect.

Originally Posted by: Darren S 

Zero covid related deaths reported today in Denmark for the first time since the epidemic began

Originally Posted by: JHutch 

Cop out. Which one is the answer for you, nothing v priceless?

I've thought about this. I think once you start treating a life as of different value to another you are on very problematic path. Humanity has been at different positions down that path over history.

I do also think adult people should have control over their lives and how they end - but that is a very different answer to a very different question.

There, I didn't find that hard to answer, why are you so reticent? Indeed, why will you still not answer my question? Again, how many lives is the economy worth and what value is a life wrt that - worthless v priceless?

I begin to think you think the lockdown wasn't worth it so you must think more lives should have been lost (or you don't understand that the lockdown worked) to save the economy. How many more lives should have been lost?. With no lockdown I see no reason why the virus would not take out 1% of us - that would be several 100K...

Originally Posted by: Devonian