As some point one might consider if governments see COVID-19 as an opportunity to "cull the herd". Japan and Italy have the two largest aging populations of any countries. The US has a large number of citizens with COVID-19 comorbidities.

I'm not sure if the long term savings on entitlements and health care costs would outweigh the short term economic damage, though.

If they go away, we might lose on the knowledge or their investments might stop working and the new youth might not manage it any better. So a total loss of society.

Massive knowledge -- retired and not using it

Making money for the healthcare system -- fundamental life science advances could be lost or slowed down, but most healthcare spending is pure consumption, the labor could be better deployed to something more productive

China got COVID-19 first. And got over it first. US and Europe are going to be devastated by it. I'm guessing Russia will fare no better. In the aftermath, who's going to be on top on the global scene?

A chilling, and somewhat likely simulation.

The possible death of nn millions of people is way worse than a global lockdown for a couple of weeks/months.

China didn't get over COVID-19. They're still seeing double-digit deaths daily and new infections. They're going to see recurring new networks and pockets appear repeatedly. Endlessly if the virus has endured in other countries. They aren't coming out on top of this, especially given the absolutely enormous GDP damage they've already endured.

Just saying the situation is handled badly is easy. Just like being a better football coach after a big game. There is a german saying that everytime the national soccer team looses Germany has 81 million national soccer trainers. Providing better solutions is the hrd part, almost as hard a judging why exactly current solutions are not sufficiet.

Drive-through testing where everybody with any symptoms can get themselves tested.

A good public education campaign with calm TV documentaries that show the facts of what was going on in Wuhan and is now going on in Italy, and explains why these actions need to be taken.

Report by an italien doctor from Bergamo: https://www.ecodibergamo.it/stories/bergamo-citta/con-le-nos...

Translated to english: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1236933818654896129.html

The only next step is large scale lock downs.

This is true until last Thursday, but now the government had acknowledged at least 19 confirmed cases. Still super late though.