Corona V, Let The Good Times Roll

This may sound irresponsible, but I am suggesting that we treat the Corona Virus just like any other virus or cold and “Let the good times roll.” The methods suggested here should lessen the number of fatalities in the long run. I will attempt to support this action with data and sound logic. Open the schools and let business prosper.
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I am basing this proposed action on following data and unknowns:

1. The US population is about 300M folks.
   
2. About a third of them are breadwinners, 100M.
   
3. Assume a minimum living wage of $3K/ month.
   
4. Assume that 2/3 of the work force will be laid off for the duration of the pandemic. (2/3 x 100M x $3K/month = $2B/month unemployment benefit.
   
5. Add to this all of the government payments to Corporate and Small Business and Scams for the duration of the Corona shutdown. This is an unknown time period and an unknown cost.
   
6. The first hit that the Feds are authorizing is $850B. How long will this last? Will this non-productive expenditure destroy our debt laden economy?
   
7. If the economy is destroyed, how many deaths will this result in compared to an unfettered Corona V? Will the Corona ultimately have the approximately same kill count with or without our national quarantine?
   

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Business as usual:

1. Let the good times roll. Treat the Corona V like any other cold or flu, but put maximum effort toward the development of a cure and vaccination for the virus.
   
2. The history so far is that 80% of the population exposed will have slight symptoms. Assuming the entire population is exposed, that is 240M people.
   
3. 15 to 20% of the population (52.5M) will require medical care. Most of these patients will be covered by health insurance.
   
4. 2 to 3.5% of the population will die. That is six to ten and a half million people. These casualties will primarily be elderly or infirm. Naturally a portion of this group would have passed away without the virus. Ask yourself how these eight million deaths would compare to those resulting from the possible collapse of our economy and its social welfare net, which may in the worst of circumstances precipitate a nuclear war. I would contend that business as usual along with an emergency effort to develop the vaccine and the cure would be a better solution than quarantine and economic shut down. I am a senior with leukemia but I would rather take the small risk of death than see a tomorrow where my children live in a country that can no longer afford Medicare, Social Security or have a healthy economy.
   

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Hi ho, Old Buz, “Always look on the bright side of life.”
Iambloggerbuz.blogspot.com
3/19/2020