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Comment by hnready1221 | Hacker News Reader

I don't subscribe to any side, but on this topic I much prefer the freedom of movement that I get to enjoy in the U.S., especially in some states. I'd hate to be locked up like they were in Australia and now Europe. Even the bay area was getting a bit much for me with their random restrictions on outdoor spaces.

There is no doubt that the virus is deadly, and more deadly for certain age groups, but let's not treat it like the great plague. On top of that, with mask use and distancing the spread is negligible, especially outside.

When did we get so risk-averse where every death should be prevented no matter the cost? Many people die for various reasons. You can maximize your age by sitting inside a cushioned room all your life to limit injuries, but I prefer to not live that way.

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You should get your numbers straight before you write things like this "like the great plague.".

Do you really think there is any politiction out there who likes to shut their country down because of anything? Tanking the economy just because of some flue?

No.

Pandemic Experts (our experts, your experts) estimated that if we wouldn't do this, we would see a very bad outcome and Politictions decided that its more important to not hit this scenario and tank the economy instead.

Now your expert expertise on this is something like 'but let's not treat it like the great plague.'?

Funny enough, i'm in Europe and i do feel fine sitting at home. I'm quite happy that we don't have that high numbers as USA has.

The problem in the USA is not 'wearing masks outside and having no other restrictions' but 'coronavirus is a hoax' 'i can't breath with a mask' 'a mask is against the amendment' 'my freedom'.

And yes we have this stuff here as well. 20k people demonstrated because of masks. Like since when did our society became so antisocial or dumb, that people think wearing a facemask mandation made their lives so much worse that they want to demonstrate it?

Do you realise how combatitive your tone is? What benefits do you think it brings to the discussion?

Text does not convey tone. You are ascribing tone in your mind. Text is language and does not bring along gestures, facial expressions, or eye contact.. things your brain uses to detect tone and subtleties in the words

For instance based on this text your “tone” is combative, but I bet you are reading it in your mind with eye brows raised and hearing a different accent on syllables. Maybe you would say that first sentence a little bit quieter to show compassion, but I’m reading it as if you had an attitude on the words “your tone is”

Can you please answer instead of trying to manoeuver away from it with a lame distraction?

> I don't subscribe to any side,

OK...

> but on this topic I much prefer the freedom of movement that I get to enjoy in the U.S.

Well, that didn't take long. Or are you assuming that's not a side?

In my social circles, it very much is. My understanding of facts leads me to believe COVID-19 is a great enough "plague" to warrant lockdown measures.

People who share your opinion often write these responses out as "extremely risk-averse", but many disease experts vehemently disagree.

To put that in context, let's consider your next statement:

> Many people die for various reasons.

In the United States, we keep track generally of how people die. The top three causes of death[1] in 2018 were heart disease at 655,381, cancer at 599,274, and accidents at 167,127.

So far, COVID-19 has surpassed accidents at 229,238 deaths[2].

This isn't about preventing death no matter the cost. It's about taking reasonable measures to slow what has become the third leading cause of death for Americans.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm [2] https://covidtracking.com/data/national

How many deaths were caused by the lockdown? I know we cant easily measure this but the number is surely substantial and by not keeping this in mind we are implicitly saying the number is zero, which leads us to make bad decisions.

The primary risk of covid is getting to the point of the exponential curve where hospitals are completely overwhelmed. People with unrelated problems and injuries struggle to get treatment, accident and emergency wards become full past capacity.

That is what the lockdowns are to prevent, and as a European I much prefer taking a month at home to prevent such a catastrophe.

My mom is at risk. My mom.

She's going to die. Hopefully, peacefully in her sleep. If she gets the covid she'll die in horrible agony, drowning in her own dissolving lungs.

I'm "averse" to that form of death, for my mom, for anyone.

120,000+ infections and 1000+ deaths per day are negligible?

This is not what I said.

I mean, I read your post, but it basically sounded like you wanted a full reopening like Texas but allowing the people who want to wear masks to wear masks. Is that not what you're advocating for?

Maybe part of your problem is this

>basically sounded

You whittled down this persons post to a basically sounded. When you discard information you create your own vacuum. The person said nothing about a full reopening and instead was pointing out how travel should not be limited like other countries who have and are still in worse situations.

>is that not

And talking in weird negatives doesn’t help your case either.

It is indeed not a 1 on 1 copy of words but it was the contents, and trying to shy away with 'that's not what he said' is just dishonest and wilful dissonance.

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