> Most people are going to forgive debts in the interrim
> Most debt collectors are going to let the debt go and not demand it,
I find it hard to believe you're familiar with debt collection in the United States!
> Unlikely that there is a vaccine, but we won't need it. The country has gone through much worse pandemics,
If we're willing to just let lots of people die, then sure, we "won't need it".
The case fatality rate (CFR) depends on ventilator and ICU capacity. We'll have a better estimate for US case fatality rates due to the outbreak in New York soon, but so far it seems to be that even though deaths lag cases, deaths have been roughly 2% of confirmed cases for a few weeks. If that holds up as confirmed cases rise into the millions, that would put this on par with the 1918 pandemic. If it doesn't, New York will give us a better idea of the CFR in a modern American city's medical system.
"The government response - or lack thereof - to the 1918 pandemic was good, actually" wasn't a take I was expecting on this site, but perhaps I should have.
I didn't say it was good. I just said that -- after the flu was over -- it did not lead to sustained economic depression. The bounce back was phenomenal. The roaring 20s represented a level of wealth that has henceforth been unmatched.
> Most debt collectors are going to let the debt go and not demand it,
I find it hard to believe you're familiar with debt collection in the United States!
> Unlikely that there is a vaccine, but we won't need it. The country has gone through much worse pandemics,
If we're willing to just let lots of people die, then sure, we "won't need it".
The case fatality rate (CFR) depends on ventilator and ICU capacity. We'll have a better estimate for US case fatality rates due to the outbreak in New York soon, but so far it seems to be that even though deaths lag cases, deaths have been roughly 2% of confirmed cases for a few weeks. If that holds up as confirmed cases rise into the millions, that would put this on par with the 1918 pandemic. If it doesn't, New York will give us a better idea of the CFR in a modern American city's medical system.