The Lockdowns Weren t Worth It – WSJ

I ve looked at more than 100 regions and countries. None have seen exponential growth of the pandemic continue until herd immunity was reached, regardless of whether a government lockdown or other stringent measure was imposed. People eventually revert to more-relaxed behavior. When they do, the virus starts spreading again. That s why we see the inverted U-shape of cases and deaths everywhere.

Sweden was the first to learn this lesson, but many other countries have confirmed it. Initially held up as a disaster by many in the pro-lockdown crowd, Sweden has ended up with a per capita death rate indistinguishable from that of the European Union. In the U.S., Georgia s hands-off policies were once called an experiment in human sacrifice by the Atlantic. But like Sweden, Georgia today has a per capita death rate that is effectively the same as the rest of the country.

That isn t to say that restrictions have no effect. Had Sweden adopted more-stringent restrictions, it s likely the epidemic would have started receding a bit earlier and incidence would have fallen a bit faster. But policy may not matter as much as people assumed it did. Lockdowns can destroy the economy, but it s starting to look as if they have minimal effect on the spread of Covid-19.

via www.wsj.com

But they brought us together as a people. (/satire)