Why World Leaders should stop using Lockdowns to fight COVID contagion

As 2020 is coming to an end and COVID-19 has taken over the whole year, I believe it is time to evaluate the way we are defending ourselves from Covid. It seems like everyone has tried to adopt the same model that China originally implicated…lockdowns. While lockdowns were effective in China, it hasn’t proved to be effective for all countries across the board. Maybe it’s time to consider the fact that lockdowns may never be an effective way to eradicate COVID-19 for good.

Can’t Pinpoint Timing: We can’t wait around forever hoping that things return to “normal.” This may never return to “normal” again. Viruses don’t just suddenly go away. Even if everyone perfectly executed “lockdown orders,” and rates declined almost to zero, once the lockdown was lifted rates would shoot back up again. We are even seeing that even Wuhan who had a 30+ day streak with no new cases has started seeing cases pop up again. The fact is, lockdowns are not a good long term solution. There’s no way to distinguish exactly how long will a lockdown need to be in place to completely eradicate the virus. This is why you see so many places going in and out of lockdown multiple times. I don’t think we can call this an effective solution if the results aren’t lasting.

Weakened Immune System: While lockdowns are supposed to be for our health and safety, they are actually putting us at a greater risk. Our immune systems are being coddled which weakens them. Once the lockdown is lifted, more people will become sick. This is because their weakened immune system is no longer strong enough to fight off the effects virus. Now, it is reasonable to stay inside if you’re older or have a preexisting condition that puts you at greater risk. But for those of us who are healthy, should press on with life. Simply keep your hands clean and practice your social distancing. This could explain why countries like Sweden have been able to reduce COVID-19 rates without implementing any sort of lockdowns or not even requiring face masks.

Economic Effects: Most countries have either hit or are set to hit a huge recession this year. Pressure on weak health care systems, loss of trade and tourism, dwindling remittances, subdued capital flows, and tight financial conditions amid mounting debt are all contributing factors as to why the economy is starting to quake. While limitations on international business interaction (importing and exporting) was expected, I don’t think anyone was prepared for the collapse of our in-country economy. For instance, in the US alone, lockdowns have been responsible for the destruction of millions of small businesses and the unemployment of millions across the nation. The backbone of our economy has been struck hard and it’s causing us to begin to bleed out. Many economies around the world are experiencing the same thing. While the US has been strong enough to withstand these harsh effects, many other countries are not as fortunate. Their economies are crumbling rapidly.

Yes, restrictions need to be in place to regulate the effects of Covid, but where does this end? However, full-blown lockdowns are by far not the best solution. While you may see short term results, in the long run it’s just a bandaid, not a real solution. Therefore, world leaders should stop with the lockdowns and find another way to go about it.