The median covid death is 85 years old? Where did you get that number? https://www.statista.com/statistics/1191568/reported-deaths-...

Using the US dataset as an example of mortality when covid-19 is allowed to spread unrestricted in a population, 700,952 died. Only 193k were 85 and older, so the median covid death must be younger than that - in the lower end of the 74-85 age cohort where another 185k have died.

I'm using the australian numbers

So you found one number in my argument that you dont like and that invalidates my entire point? Is that what you're saying? What number would you prefer instead of the 85? Does that change everything?

Why use the Australian numbers to argue that AU should have taken the USA’s approach of unrestricted covid spreading?

Australia’s numbers won’t match what happens when covid-19 spreads widely, because they successfully stopped it.

Just realized (I think) you edited in the later sentences after I replied.

Yea, it does invalidate your point, the average years of life lost from a Covid-19 death is fourteen not a few as you suggested. Many, many people lost more than a decade of productive, happy life to this virus in countries where it was allowed to spread. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/16/americans-l...

So we're spending $20m on 14 years of life.

The whole calculation is wrong, but even if it was correct, I would still be amazed by the fact that you think $4m is too much to get one person live for a few more years.

This is only one year, we're gonna keep spending money on the covid response as long as there's lockdowns. We do not have unlimited money and there's better ways to increase lifespan for less than $4M per person per year

Length of life is such a horrible metric. What about quality of life?

> AUD 300 billion to save 70,000 lives

You keep quoting 300 billion, where are you getting that from?

https://budget.gov.au/2021-22/content/covid.htm Please explain how am I using this number incorrectly? What is the correct number I should be using instead?

You're using that number incorrectly.

It's like that classic Pirates vs Global Average Temperature chart[1]

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/03/23/true-f...

It makes about as much sense to say that we spent $300B to save 70,000 people as it does to say that the US has spent trillions to kill 714,000.

One is not the cause of the other, in either direction.

The US does not go to war just to kill people. Australia's covid response is purely for saving lives.

I said nothing about war, I'm talking about the COVID response in both cases.

The US Federal Government has spent trillions on COVID related bills. Over $5.3 trillion if this[1] is to be believed.

USD$5.3 trillion / US Population = $16k/person (approx)

AUD$291 billion / AU Population = AUD$11400/person (~USD$8,300 approx)

On the face of it, we spent a whole lot less, and have had at least as good, if not a better economic outcome.

[1] https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2021/03/heres-everything-congress-...

Do Florida and Victoria have similar age structure? Immigration patterns?