India, is reported to have achieved Covid herd immunity, with about half the population, or just under seven hundred million people, having Covid19-specific antibodies. That means India is essentially finished with Covid as a national disaster.
Covid deaths recorded in India total 155,000, indicating a Covid19 infection fatality rate of around one in 5000. That is around one tenth of the rates reported in Europe and North America. That difference reflects, at least in part, the steep age-dependence of Covid mortality and a difference in population age profile. India has fewer than 6% of its population aged over 60 versus around 26% in Europe and North America.
In addition, the European and North American infection fatality rates are undoubtedly greatly exaggerated due to underestimation of the infection rate, which is based on reported cases, not population-wide antibody surveys.
The inference is clear: The Western states have totally mishandled the epidemic. The virus should have been allowed to spread among the young and resilient, while the elderly should have been given every means to isolate themselves — if they so chose. And it should be emphasized that isolation of the elderly should have been entirely voluntary. At the age of 75 plus, why should one not take a 10% risk of dying a year or two prematurely due to Covid, rather than being locked up for much, or perhaps all, of the rest of one's life?
What the response of the Western nations to Covid19 demonstrates is either remarkably poor judgement in government, or a conspiracy to undermine Western economies and crush the spirit of the people.
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Zero Covid is a mirage
This is a great post thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you, CS
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