So Has The Lock Down Been Worth The Pain?

[dave50]

The news today stated that the economy shrank by over 20% and we could be heading for 3 million unemployed or more with all the misery and despair which it will create. Has it been worth it really, the human obsession with having to save every single life at all costs and that we must keep everyone alive as long as possible no matter how old, ill or frail they might again at all costs. Ironically the human cost of all this in years to come will be terrible in terms of the misery, joblessness, poverty, homelessness and possible social unrest. No doubt I myself will be accused of being inhumane for questioning the wisdom of the life above everything else attitude. As Mr Spock used to say on star trek, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few", bet he wouldn't be allowed to say it now, but that's another story.

[sevenOP]

Spock was not human; a human gave Spock a human answer

[woofgang]

yes, yes he did. I am quite shocked by the "to hell with humanity lets let them die". I wonder if the attitude would be the same if it was cute new borns who were at risk...after all, they are no use and people can always have more......

[Old_Geezer]

Possibly not, but it made sense to try to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed. Whether we should still be so risk adverse is more debatable.

[Cloverjo]

The aim was to ‘flatten the curve‘. We’ve done that. Let’s get everyone back to work, children back at school and protect the vulnerable.

[Canary42]

The lockdown didn't protect the old and the frail who were herded back into ill-protected Care Homes to die in their thousands so your whole premise is false.

There is no evidence that the lockdown per se is the cause of the recession - it is more likely the result of the impact of the unprecedented level of deaths which occurred (far higher than almost all other countries) owing to the too-little-too-late actions by bungling Boris. Those other countries have far healthier economies than GB as a result of their more timely action.

[New Judge]

//I am quite shocked by the "to hell with humanity lets let them die".//

That isn't the attitude at all, woofy (well it's certainly not mine).

I believe that the handling of the pandemic has been the biggest political blunder I have ever seen. It was obvious from the outset that the cure would end up far worse than the disease. The simple fact (which does not seem to have been grasped by large numbers of people) is that no government can protect its people from contracting a new infectious disease. It's not possible (as it has transpired). The idea that the disease can be "controlled" or even "eradicated" by such tactics is utterly absurd.

The damage that has been done is enormous. The economy has been trashed and will take a generation or more to recover - if it ever does. Millions of people will lose their livelihoods by the end of this year. Thousands of people will suffer - and die - from untreated non-Covid conditions. The social fabric of the country has been severely damaged.

For the vast, vast majority of people infected, Covid-19 will produce little or no symptoms. I noticed today that in the last week of July in England & Wales, 193 people died from Coronavirus. In the same week 928 people died from 'flu and pneumonia. There are around 700 people in hospital with Covid at present - one patient for every 200 NHS beds. But still these ridiculous measures are in place to "control" a virus which is being contracted by about one in 65,000 people a day and which has a death rate of a fifth of that of 'flu and pneumonia.

The initial reaction to the outbreak was hysterical panic by many of the population which was ignited by a government deliberately scaring them witless. Their paranoia has persisted and grown (far more exponentially than the virus). I have news for all the people suggesting that those who want a return to normal life are "granny killers". Make a note of this: ***The virus will not go away any time soon.*** ***An effective safe vaccine will not be available any time soon.*** Those who should and want to shelter can do so. Those who want to remain at home indefinitely whilst the taxpayer pays their wages cannot. The 9m people on "furlough" must get back to work. Workers who believe they are as productive working at home as they are in the office might care to explain why, then, the DVLA is all but defunct for anything other than straightforward online applications and people are having to cancel travel plans because they cannot get a passport. Schools must return to normal working. Everybody else must step out from behind the sofa or they will spend a very long time hiding there and when they do emerge they may find there is no work for them and no money to pay them.

[New Judge]

//There is no evidence that the lockdown per se is the cause of the recession - it is more likely the result of the impact of the unprecedented level of deaths which occurred..//

Don't be utterly ridiculous, Canary. The recession has been caused because the government closed huge swathes of the country's economy, mainly some of the most important sectors. And it also put the bill for the wages of 9m workers at the door of the taxpayer. It has been estimated that there have been around 60,000 "excess" deaths in the last five months or so. Most of these people were economically relatively inactive. Their passing may have had a small effect on the economy - but nowhere near as much as the rest of the country being largely unable to spend any money.

[Cloverjo]

Blimey. Not often I agree with NJ but I do now.

[THECORBYLOON]

NJ, how many folk catch the flu or develop pneumonia each day in the UK?

[woofgang]

NJ, the question was "has it been worth it?" not "should it continue?"

[ynnafymmi]

Just imagine that the old terrorist supporting scarecrow had got into power last december,unemployment would now be touching 30 million,with another 20 million dead.I think we all dodged a bullet there.

[david small]

To answer the question. No it has not, and is not worth the destruction of our country and it’s infrastructure. Yes, I’m aware other countries have achieved a similar devastation as our own. More fool them.

[Deskdiary]

Canary42 at 23.03 “There is no evidence the lockdown per se is the cause of the recession...”

Are you out of your tiny mind? That is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen posted.

[margarettom]

As an old and vulnerable person, I would have been quite happy to be locked down whilst the rest of the country got on with things, once it became obvious who were actually dying of Covid. And still would, if it becomes a problem this winter. Considering that at least 95% of the deaths fell into this category it seems common sense to me.

[dannyk13]

A hard question to answer.It has been bad for the economy but that must be set against the,unknown, number of lives that have been saved.I suppose it boils down to how much a life is worth.

[Old_Geezer]

A link to the last week of July figures would be interesting.

[Old_Geezer]

Saved or temporarily extended, danny ?

Those who caught it and survived because of hospital treatment can be considered saved, but most of this was to simply delay infection. Obviously a portion of those who missed the peak will survive and wouldn't have were resources overwhelmed, but as a percentage it'd surely be a mere handful compared to the total population.

The disaster of being turned away from full hospitals has been avoided, but the final death toll is likely to have not changed that much.

[ToraToraTora]

canery: "There is no evidence that the lockdown per se is the cause of the recession - it is more likely the result of the impact of the unprecedented level of deaths which occurred " - you have got to be kidding! People die every day thousands of them, sad though it is the few that have died of the virus, which is about half the official figure anyway, is a drop in the ocean. You really think they have more effect on the economy than all the lockdown effects? Heard it all now! You really are letting your imagination run wild there me old china!

[ToraToraTora]

if there was a, most idiotic answer, canary would have got that hands down!

[ichkeria]

“ Just imagine that the old terrorist supporting scarecrow had got into power last ”

Well Claire Fox is now in the Lords courtesy of the PM: next best thing I suppose :-)