Thread by @firefoxx66

'For many, I'm the evil guy crippling the economy'
A lot of us scientists working on #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 right now are feeling this.

We don't like lockdowns. We know so many are suffering. They hurt us, & those we love, too.

But we know ending lockdowns too early = more death.

https://twitter.com/MackayIM/status/1254905820266901504

Seeing discourse fracture as people in less-affected areas start to feel like we've overreacted - this is really hard. It makes me despair a little bit.

And I haven't yet found a way to reach people - to convey that their "not so bad" is *thanks* to these measures.

Pressure from businesses on governments is rising steadily. I worry every day that countries are not mobilising #TestTraceIsolate fast enough.

In many places, it's calm now - but it's the same calm we had in February, when so many watched idle while Italy burned with cases.

Despite seeing the opposite - right before our eyes, mere weeks ago - the "it won't happen here" & "it's not so bad" mentality persists - perhaps even stronger now.

Even in countries with locations where it *has* been (is still!) bad - USA, UK - some are pushing to end lockdowns

With case numbers still high - often somewhat unknowingly high, because of lack of testing - this would simply be ending a time-out. And while it might take a moment for this to become obvious, the virus will quickly resume its exponential dance, claiming life after life.

In other places we've successfully pushed a 'semi-reset' button with lockdowns. But we didn't defeat the virus - we're just rewound to where we were a few weeks ago. If we go back to normal, we'll relive history.

Cases beget cases. One case now can be hundreds in a few weeks.

I worry people are becoming desensitised to the deaths. I am not. I feel the weight every day of all the deaths we could have prevented.

And all the deaths we can still prevent.

But lives saved only if we persist. Only if we stay the course. Only if we take this seriously.

Nobody wants lockdowns to continue. We know that's not possible. But we use them to rewind - to a time of fewer #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 cases - so we can *do better* this time.

So that this time, we don't need a lockdown. This time, we test often, trace fast, isolate quickly. This time, more businesses can stay open. This time, we provide for those that the policies hurt.

This time, our healthcare workers are protected.

This time, less people die.

We will all benefit - in lives & economy - if we focus on bringing cases down (often with lockdowns) & keeping them down (with #TestTraceIsolate).

I don't know more ways to explain that we don't have another option which doesn't involve a lot of death.

It's not 'hopeless' or 'futile' - we *can* fight this virus *and* enjoy a semi-normal life. Don't let people tell you its not possible.

But we have to do this together. We must invest in this future - in behaviour & in cash.

I promise: it's worth it.