Somehow in many countries people have forgotten what the whole "flatten the curve" thingie was.
When most countries started putting up restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was made quite clear that the plan was never to completely stop the epidemic on its tracks. It was always understood very early on that it's not practical nor feasible to just completely kill the epidemic and stop it completely. Too strict and too many restrictions for too long would just be worse than the disease itself.
The whole idea with the restrictions, with "flatten the curve", was never to stop the epidemic, but to slow it down, so that the peak of severe cases is not as massive that it overwhelms the healthcare system. Sure, the pandemic will overall last for longer, but fewer people will be seriously sick at any given moment, and thus the healthcare system will have the resources to care for them. Hospitals will not be overrun with patients in severe condition.
Well, everything seems to indicate that either the restrictions have been really effective (great thing, if that's indeed the case!) or the amount of serious cases caused by SARS-CoV-2 is much lower than expected, as in most places hospitals are actually half-empty and there is no overburdening of the system. In fact, there are many hospitals in many countries where most of the staff have nothing to do! By their own accounts. They just go to the hospital and sit there all day doing nothing, because there are so few patients. There aren't even many patients of other kinds to take care of.
Whichever is the case, it's nevertheless quite clear that it really is time to start slowly lifting the restrictions. The curve is very flat, and there really isn't a need for so many restrictions as there are in many countries. Maybe some more minor restrictions could still be in place, but the most severe ones could well be ended or at least loosened up a bit. It's unlikely that the number of severe cases will skyrocket (they might start raising a bit once again, but unlikely so much that hospitals will be overrun.)
Keeping the restrictions is only going to be worse than the disease, because the restrictions are sinking the economy and making small businesses go bankrupt and people to go unemployed. I wouldn't be surprised that the number of worldwide suicides will increase this year significantly compared to previous years. Even in the best case scenario the living standards of many people will suffer, and governmental expenses will increase massively, further hurting the economy.
Yet, in many countries people have forgotten that the plan was never to stop the virus, just to slow it down. In many of these countries people are horrified at the idea of lifting the restrictions because the number of infections will once again start to raise.
Yes, they probably will. But that was the plan all along. The plan was never to try to stop it completely, because that's just not practical and would make the cure worse than the disease. You may be saving some lives, but killing others because of the ruined economy and all the socioeconomic and psychological problems associated with that.
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