[giantDinosaur]

It's evident by this point that you can avoid total lockdowns and still control infections. Permanent lockdown is simply not a realistic solution, so I expect we'll all start tending towards the Swedish model, regardless of how much gnashing of teeth and fiery twitter rhetoric such decisions will generate.

As for the apocalyptic atmosphere - it doesn't seem possible to really predict how bad/good things will get. How many predicted during WW2 that upon its exit would be a period of unprecedented social progress & economic equality?

[mikepurvis]

> How many predicted during WW2 that upon its exit would be a period of unprecedented social progress & economic equality?

There was some precedent there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Twenties

[giantDinosaur]

How silly, of course, since WW1 hadn't ended yet!

[PaulDavisThe1st]

Realistically, the end of WW2 was indeed followed by unprecedented social progress and economic equality in many parts of the world.

[empath75]

Sweden has by far the highest per capita death rate of its neighbors. I don’t think they’ll be emulating them.