Let's talk about "herd, immunity." This is not something done with wild viruses. First of all, coronaviruses have existed in humans for a very long time. They don't really provoke a lasting and meaningful immunity. There is no evidence to suggest covid is different.
To achieve #HerdImmunity we would need a near 80% infection rate. That's going to mean millions of dead. 264 million is 80% of the population. Even at a 1% mortality rate that's 2.64 million dead. Data suggest 4-6% mortality. Do the math.
That is not #HerdImmunity. That's #Eugenics all for an immunity that is unproven and not even theoretically sound. As other nations expend money and effort to bring the virus to a manageable level the USA and other herd immunity states will be left in the economic dust.
No recovering nation is going to allow trade nor travel with a country that has decided to let viral transmission skyrocket. They won't risk the investment they've made into their people that the U.S.A. did not. Container ships won't take on infected cargo and risk outbreaks
If you want to see a real depression instead of an economic lag that would recover once we had the virus down too a manageable level, the way you get that is allowing death and infectious disease to sweep through a nation that is dependent on international trade.
Now, that we've established the death toll of culling the population under the guise of herd immunity and the short term economic impact let's discuss our role in global health. As other nations recover and put a coordinated effort into creating a vaccine, any nation
Shooting for herd immunity allowing large numbers of infection becomes not only a disease resevoir, but also endangers the world by taking actions that encourage viral mutation and development of new strains. Coronaviruses mutate rapidly.
It will only be a matter of time before the world sees these actions as a threat to to global health and safety and the massacre of innocents that it is. Do you know how quickly a disease like covid can rip through military barracks? Put it together.
#HerdImmunity is not a response. It's not something done with a wild disease. The risks are too great and the results will be tragic.
