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Comment by neilwilson | Hacker News Reader

Where in these places has normality been resumed? When can we go back to seeing smiles?

Have you considered the long term social cost of reducing interaction between people? Or is that the plan?

There is no end goal here. Just a bunch of short term reactions that are based upon fear and propaganda not hard data. Why so much social change for a virus where the median age of death is over 80, and the majority of the population under 40 are not impacted at all.

There have been an estimated 31.5 million deaths this year so far on Worldometer. 1.5% of those were Covid. How many of that 1.5% would have made the end of the year? It's time to get some perspective and control those amygdalas.

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> Why so much social change for a virus where the median age of death is over 80

The “social change” is why the media age of death is so high; the elderly are the least able to withstand the supportive measures necessary to survive serious COVID-19 illness, and it is the “social change” that has kept the number of simultaneous cases down to the level where those who need it are likely to get the proper supportive care.

Without that, the median age of death would drop considerably, as well as the number of deaths skyrocketing.

Of course, just because death is both the most serious adverse outcome and the one for which statistics are easiest to compile doesn't mean it's all we should care about.

> How many of that 1.5% would have made the end of the year?

The vast majority of those in the developed world. Sure, in the US the median age of death may be a little over 80, but life expectancy at age 80 is 9 years for women, 7 for men.

> Where in these places has normality been resumed? When can we go back to seeing smiles?

South Korea. Restaurants are fully open, cafe's are full, busses and trains are so packed during rush hour that you're pushed up against three or four other bodies that you'd prefer not to be so close and personal with.

Strictly speaking, yes there is a second wave. Many weeks ago it was <10 new cases/day, which has now climbed to a steady ~60 new cases/day.

But that number isn't exploding, it's been consistent for several weeks now. Nearly everyone goes about their daily lives, only that they all wear masks.

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