[Mick]

Doesn't that still imply a giant loss of jobs and, essentially, a permanent recession? 

Yes, until we get an effective vaccine or highly effective treatment.

---

Just in case you were curious, about 1,000 Americans have been thrown out of work for every COVID-19 death.  More than 1,000 families devastated so a diabetic, heart failure, hypertense old person like me could live a few extra years.  

I understand what you're getting at, but this overstates the case. People are not being disemployed for every Covid-19 death that HAS already occurred, it is to prevent the many many more deaths, and the more numerous serious illnesses requiring hospitalization and even intubation, and the 2-week isolation that the much more numerous people with minor illness must do, that WILL occur in the future without these measures if the infections (and deaths) continue to spread exponentially. All of those deaths and illnesses have economic effects, too. And it's not just sick old geezers dying a few years early; in Santa Clara County, 22% of deaths have been in people under 60, and another 15% in the 61-70 age group.

And I would add: now knowing several people who have had to be admitted to the ICU and intubated, I am painfully aware of how the road to recovery back from serious COVID-19 infection is long, painful, and scary. Anyone who has a severe reaction to COVID-19 will be out of the workforce for 4-6 weeks, at a minimum, and potentially permanent impaired relative to their lung capacity and functioning prior to the illness. And those don't even count as part of the CFR numerator.

The notion that we're doing all of this just to save fat old geezers is total folly, and Mick, I wish you'd stop saying it because we both know it's not true. Many many more people will suffer tremendously for every life lost to COVID-19.

Pretty certain I never said we were stopping the economy in its tracks and throwing 17 million (well...to date anyway) out of work and ruining 50 million lives (assuming 3x people affected for every job loss) solely to save people like me. Apparently you need me to acknowledge that a small percentage of all COVID-19 related deaths will occur to younger people and those without comorbidities. So acknowledged.

[Mick]

Doesn't that still imply a giant loss of jobs and, essentially, a permanent recession? 

Yes, until we get an effective vaccine or highly effective treatment.

---

Just in case you were curious, about 1,000 Americans have been thrown out of work for every COVID-19 death.  More than 1,000 families devastated so a diabetic, heart failure, hypertense old person like me could live a few extra years.  

I understand what you're getting at, but this overstates the case. People are not being disemployed for every Covid-19 death that HAS already occurred, it is to prevent the many many more deaths, and the more numerous serious illnesses requiring hospitalization and even intubation, and the 2-week isolation that the much more numerous people with minor illness must do, that WILL occur in the future without these measures if the infections (and deaths) continue to spread exponentially. All of those deaths and illnesses have economic effects, too. And it's not just sick old geezers dying a few years early; in Santa Clara County, 22% of deaths have been in people under 60, and another 15% in the 61-70 age group.

And I would add: now knowing several people who have had to be admitted to the ICU and intubated, I am painfully aware of how the road to recovery back from serious COVID-19 infection is long, painful, and scary. Anyone who has a severe reaction to COVID-19 will be out of the workforce for 4-6 weeks, at a minimum, and potentially permanent impaired relative to their lung capacity and functioning prior to the illness. And those don't even count as part of the CFR numerator.

The notion that we're doing all of this just to save fat old geezers is total folly, and Mick, I wish you'd stop saying it because we both know it's not true. Many many more people will suffer tremendously for every life lost to COVID-19.

Pretty certain I never said we were stopping the economy in its tracks and throwing 17 million (well...to date anyway) out of work and ruining 50 million lives (assuming 3x people affected for every job loss) solely to save people like me. Apparently you need me to acknowledge that a small percentage of all COVID-19 related deaths will occur to younger people and those without comorbidities. So acknowledged.