I'm no expert, but afaik "herd immunity" requires 60% of the population to be immune. Right now the only way to become immune to #COVID19 is to actually contract the virus and heal from it, right?
Of course eventually you'll be able to become immune through vaccination, but according to experts a vaccine is many months (possibly over a year) away.
Afaik, some 80% of those who contract the virus don't require hospitalization. But some 20% do, and depending on age group / preexisting condition, some of those will *die*.
If 60% of the population contract the virus at the same time, and then 20% of those need hospitalization, then what I understand is that the medical sector will be so overwhelmed it will *shut down*
Of course the collapse of the medical sector will endanger everyone who needs to go to a hospital (not just #COVID19 patients). Also keep in mind a mortality rate of some 3% (disputed). We can't be okay with mass fatalities among our elderly population.
Now, what I understand is that if 60% of the population contract the virus but not all at once (in a more controlled way) we get herd immunity, but that also means keeping social isolation measures for longer, which would be pretty darn bad for the economy.
So, correct me where I'm wrong in this thread, but I can see why "herd immunity" is the eventual solution, I just don't see how it can actually be a government strategy?
Many have pointed out in replies that there's no evidence so far that contracting it and then healing makes you immune, as there seem to be cases of people who just got it again.
