Covid-19 and the madness of crowds

Equality 7-2521 wrote: Also, people's beliefs are based in no small part upon establishing and maintaining a group identity rather than on the basis of evidence. There are certain identities: small government, anti-vax, Trump4Life, globalism, etc. that can clash with the consequences of a true pandemic.

Don't forget independent thinking.

I've wasted far too much time today reading this thread, but it has been (in places) fascinating. 

I'm a UK scientist (background genetics and microbiology, now working in models of cancer and therapeutics).

I don't think anyone has the answers to how this should or should have been dealt with, as we're in new territory on so many levels. Whether lockdown is the best way to deal with this virus is still unknown; but did anyone really expect a government in the UK or US (or most countries) to risk putting the population at such jeopardy by just letting the virus take it's course?  I include in this attempting to just isolate those most at risk, a virtual impossibility IMHO.  The health service in the UK will not cope with the current peak we are approaching, but just think of what would happen to it if we had just let this run it's course?  No government could possibly justify letting so many people die in such a short time, plus allowing the rest of the population to get ill (to the varying degrees that would happen) at the same time, which would have meant economic disaster as well.  Flattening the curve has to be the right thing to do.

This is a disastrous situation, let's be clear.  Nothing looks good right now (apart from the weather in the UK, which has miraculously pepped up 1000% since we went into lockdown). But I can't bear to think of the scenes that would be approaching right now, if we had just carried on as normal. 

I fear for Sweden.  And yet maybe they are right.  We just don't know.

I am in total agreement that the economic fallout will be massive; sh*t, it already is!  And we will live with the scars for decades.  And it's no surprise that politicians the world over are quaking at the prospect.  But you can't just let millions of people die, if there is a way of preventing it...

In other news, my frail 83-year old Mum went into hospital last night in Essex.  She has pulmonary fibrosis, quite late stage, so is about as high risk as anyone when it comes to covid-19.  She felt unwell, query chest infection, and her oxygen levels were through the floor, so she had to be taken in.  She has been tested for the virus, and we've been told it will be a week before results, so she's on a ward, having oxygen and antibiotics.  She may have it (in which case I will never see her again), or she may get it in hospital (in which case I will never see her again), or if we're incredibly lucky, she will get better and go home with an oxygen cylinder (which was already well on the cards) and I may get to see her in a few months time...

To all those with the virus, or who know people with the virus, I wish you the very best of luck.  To everyone, I say please keep yourselves as far from everyone else as is possible, except for the people you live with.  These are very challenging times, but we have to do our best, and try to minimise the casualties as far as is humanly possible...

Similarly, I wish your mother and you all of our best wishes. Further comment not particularly appropriate.