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Banned
Yes, it has likely temporarily delayed some deaths that will occur while the population builds herd immunity.Sweden just past three thousand deaths while doing nothing.
So adjusting for population that would put US deaths at a baseline of 90K.
You'd have to factor in some other stuff like US being the land of pre-existing conditions like diabetes, hypertension and obesity - all of which clearly exacerbate the underlying symptoms of COVID-19. Sweden is consistently rated as a top 5-10 country when it comes to overall heath while US is typically somewhere in the 30's. It's hard to put a number on that but let's call it another 10-12K.
So can we say the steps we've taken to mitigate the spread of the virus saved 25-27 thousands lives up to this point? Who knows. But food for thought.
Again, we have slowed the curve. Even with a successful vaccine, with the 1-2 years it will take to come to market with wide availability (best case scenario), herd immunity will have likely occurred.
The only deaths we can prevent without a cure or vaccine are those prevented by potentially overwhelming the health system.
Keep in mind, on average, when you go on a vent, your survival rate (COVID or otherwise) is only 15%.
Factor in suicide rates. A study of the Great Recession that began in late 2007 found that for every percentage point increase in the unemployment rate, there was about a 1.6 percent increase in the suicide rate. Add the additional stress if cabin fever and it is likely higher. And over 20mm jobs disappeared in April.
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