And in the end there will be no actual proof that any lives were actually saved. There will only be competing statistical models based entirely on assumptions. There is no guarantee that a vaccine or treatment will ever be perfected. It is entirely possible that the steps being taken to "Flatten the curve" may prolong the time the virus actually circulates in the population perhaps allowing it to mutate into an even deadlier form. It may have been a better policy to maximize isolation of those most vulnerable to having life threatening complications and let the virus sweep thru the rest of the population creating a herd immunity, thus thwarting the virus. We will never know for sure if the steps taken saved lives or cost lives over the course of the virus. And if you really want to be a statistical nerd, it will be a statistical certainty that all the steps taken actually never saved a single life, since it is statistically certain every single one of us will die. To imply that extreme economic damage is without life threatening consequences is very short sighted. Poverty kills millions across the globe annually. Eventually a decision point of the economy over the virus will need to be reached. It is beyond foolish to believe that point can be set at a zero risk of additional deaths by COVID19.
Someone who gets it. You can never completely mitigate the risk. And those that are worried about their livelihoods have every right to do so as they are the ones who will wind up in the poverty cycle with no way out. My hunch is if we analyzed the age groups and responses it's those that are already retired that don't care if the world stops as their SSI checks will still continue to come. Guess what-if you don't have a working pool to draw from there won't be any money for you either. YOU have the choice to stay home if you are concerned but many of us don't. Everyone needs to think about the overall picture and not just their own little world.
