[magnus]

But tell me what's wrong in theory about wanting as much of the population as possible to develop some kind of immunity?  [I get that gauging is an impossible task and health care could be overrun if we're not very careful].  But I'm just talking theory:  don't we want as many of us to contract and survive COVID 19 as is reasonably possible?

Herd immunity was the original goal of the UK and is one of the ways we can get out of this potentially drawn out restrictive movement.  I think the problem with trying to reach herd immunity is that too many people will die (mostly old, but also middle age and young).  The death rate is about 1%, or if maybe 0.5% in the USA (if you start including all the asymptomatic).  If we need to get 60%-70% infected, that's 200M infected, translating to 1M deaths.  That would be against America's fiber to allow happen.

BTW, in "ideal world," don't we "want" as many COVID infections as possible to the population . . . so long as hospitals are not overrun and are able to treat those most in need? Now obviously, the higher at-risk groups will have to take extra precautions, which will limit deaths in and of itself.

In an ideal world, we'd want to end this ASAP which would mean either a vaccine or some other influence that would tame this virus.

[magnus]

But tell me what's wrong in theory about wanting as much of the population as possible to develop some kind of immunity?  [I get that gauging is an impossible task and health care could be overrun if we're not very careful].  But I'm just talking theory:  don't we want as many of us to contract and survive COVID 19 as is reasonably possible?

Herd immunity was the original goal of the UK and is one of the ways we can get out of this potentially drawn out restrictive movement.  I think the problem with trying to reach herd immunity is that too many people will die (mostly old, but also middle age and young).  The death rate is about 1%, or if maybe 0.5% in the USA (if you start including all the asymptomatic).  If we need to get 60%-70% infected, that's 200M infected, translating to 1M deaths.  That would be against America's fiber to allow happen.

BTW, in "ideal world," don't we "want" as many COVID infections as possible to the population . . . so long as hospitals are not overrun and are able to treat those most in need? Now obviously, the higher at-risk groups will have to take extra precautions, which will limit deaths in and of itself.

In an ideal world, we'd want to end this ASAP which would mean either a vaccine or some other influence that would tame this virus.