[jacquesm]

And then there are the factors on the other side of the ledger: fewer traffic deaths, ironically - fewer COPD related deaths because of significantly improved air quality. And many more. This is not a simple problem by any stretch of the imagination and trying to make it seems as though only one or two factors are suddenly dominant and should be given precedence without taking into account other effects of larger or equal magnitude and possibly with inverted sign makes it all about as useful as badly informed guesswork.

[s1artibartfast]

I wholeheartedly agree. My hope is that people can at least recognize that there is a complex risk benefit problem and encourage or at least permit our health experts to asses the problem.

Unfortunately, the pubic ( at least in the US) is dividing into camps which largely ignore this fundamental question. Either any action which which increases covid deaths is amoral, or the economy should be the primary concern. In reality, the real question of how to optimize quality adjusted life years has been squeezed out of the conversation.

[jacquesm]

Part of the reason is that the US tends to treat any major political issue as though it is a spectator sport rather than as something society will have to find a good solution for.