by K. Walker at lidblog.com
A new paper published in the United Kingdom uses real-world data to analyze the efficacy of the lockdowns and other mitigation measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are damning.
The Institute of Economic Affairs in London conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis of several studies of the response to the pandemic and compared that to actual mortality rates, not computer models.
The results show that the mitigation measures touted by public health officials were far less effective at preventing deaths from COVID than they told us they would be — but they also came with a high cost.
The Institute of Economic Affairs in London conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis of several studies of the response to the pandemic and compared that to actual mortality rates, not computer models.
The results show that the mitigation measures touted by public health officials were far less effective at preventing deaths from COVID than they told us they would be — but they also came with a high cost.
The study concludes that lockdowns in the spring of 2020 had a “negligible effect” on COVID-19 mortality.
The Imperial College of London’s modeling estimated that lockdowns would save 2 million lives in the United States and over 400,000 lives in the United Kingdom. The number of deaths prevented by an average lockdown was significantly lower — approximately 6,000 avoided deaths in Europe and 4,000 in the United States.
It also adds that voluntary actions taken by individuals were more effective than government mandates.
The study also notes that the heavy-handed and largely ineffective lockdowns also came with significant economic and social costs:
- Stunted economic growth
- Large increases in public debt
- Rising inequality
- Damage to children’s education and health
- Reduced health-related quality of life
- Increased crime
- Threats to democracy and loss of freedom
- Damage to mental health
The study concludes that unless substantial alternative evidence emerges, lockdowns should be “rejected out of hand” to control future pandemics.