The world is just getting so tired and impatient of being restricted. So, should the world just go for ‘herd immunity’?
Just notice all these social distancing violators. PPE theft. Insufficient ventilators. Lack of test kits. Defective equipments. Overflowing morgues and hospitals. The useless face mask debate. The panic-buying. The quarrel over toilet paper. The domestic violence. The mishandling of funds. The corruption. The huge hospital bills. The unemployment. The hunger. The worsening racism and discrimination. Some are even attacking healthcare workers and the police.
This is just chaos.
Not to mention the global economy is in turmoil; besides, the vaccine would take a year or so before it becomes available. So, why even continue with lockdowns when all’s a mess?
Moreover, what would you do with violators? Even prisoners are being released due to this pandemic, so why imprison ‘mere’ social distancing violators? India’s approach to violators is actually good. Like, making them squat or write letters of apology. What we don’t like though is the spraying of bleach and the physical disciplining on violators.
Anyway, we already gave the best possible way to handle COVID-19 infections. Put the infected on ‘quarantine island’ or in an isolated facility, so that the healthy could still live normally. Did it happen? No. So, that’s why we have all these spats even from world leaders and organizations. They are just all lost, blaming each other and aching to reopen their territories even while infections are still at a high.
And our suggestion of moving into ‘herd immunity’ is not because we sided with world leaders’ economic worries…
It’s not because we want the world’s elderly or immuno-compromised to be swept away but because we already know how to handle COVID-19. It’s not because of anything else but because leadership goes with knowledge and understanding.
See. If you are at war and your enemy moved south, why would you still aim your artillery towards the north? This means, you should adapt to change. To what and where needs action.
Herd immunity, we did not favor before. Why? Because it would be cruel to the vulnerable if we have not given society a chance to see if people could adapt to lockdowns. It’s been a month or so already, has the curve flattened? Well, even more violators have been reported. And so, can we actually afford 6-month lockdowns?
Thus, the kind of ‘herd immunity’ that we suggest is to just let the people decide at their own risk.
Everyone would be given ‘quarantine passes’ with time stamping on the back to indicate the holder’s activity.
If they want to stay home and be safe, then do it. If they want to have a gathering of people, then so be it. If they get sick of COVID-19, then don’t burden the hospital. Just do self-care. They already have the information on how to handle COVID-19. After all, they want fun, so accept the consequences. Only the vulnerable and the disciplined (based on time stamps) would be admitted to hospitals, free of charge – and even given financial aid.
What governments need to do though is to just close the borders. Because other areas are not infected and it would be unfair for them to just allow undisciplined, infected people to go to their places. On the other hand, let non-essential businesses operate, anyway, it’s up to the people if they want to go out or not. However, air and sea travel should be suspended. The principle here is similar to closing borders.
This ‘herd immunity’ should have maximized its effects and benefits in two months. From early infection to peak spreading to 2-week healing at different phases. This would result in two other things: (1) society would start living a healthier lifestyle, and (2) the economy would recover faster. Lockdowns? Two months is still nothing. Everyone’s still scrambling for testing and supplies, while not all regions have benefited from aids – or has contained COVID-19.
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