Hi again Claudia,

Yes, I have a multiple masters degrees. I understand the flatten the curve concept! :-)

The problem is, the curve flattens only because people isolate. The virus is not going away. As soon as people stop isolating, it will return. Isolation is not a solution: it is only a delay. Delay might make sense — it is hard to say. Sweden is not using that strategy.

What you say about the death count should be compared with the cost to everyone of shutting down the entire economy. We might end up in a global depression that lasts ten years — it is hard to say. Is that what we want? There will be immense and widespread harm that comes from that.

There is a difficult cost/benefit analysis that is needed here. And we need to remember that this will not be the last pandemic, or the last crisis. This pandemic is an easy one: only a few percent die. What if it were like ebola, where 90% die?

We cannot allow ourselves as a nation — as a world — to be weakened. We need to stay strong: other crises will come.