Let us examine the Great Barrington Declaration with the respect it deserves, which is very little. The advocates, who include Dr. Scott Atlas, President Donald Trump’s preferred pandemic expert, argue that all these shutdowns are causing economic and psychological havoc that’s worse than the disease. Better to let the coronavirus infect the young and healthy, thus building immunity in numbers large enough to nearly stop the virus’ spread. The elderly and other vulnerable Americans can lock themselves away.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, most other Americans’ preferred pandemic expert, has called the idea “total nonsense.”
It’s true that the economy can’t be shut forever. But with a vaccine on the horizon, letting the virus just rip is idiotic. Why can’t we just minimize the transmission of the disease for a few months more until there’s an effective shot? Continue reading.