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THREAD: I have been a strong supporter of social distancing re #Covid-19. However, now that most people agree it seems important to stress that the measures that we take should be are appropriate to our aim and that not everything is justified in the name of beating Covid-19 1/
We have now a continuum of over-reactions. On the one extreme, authoritarian gov are using Covid-19 as a pretext to adopt restrictions of civil liberties that have little to do with the pandemics, like Victor Orban in Hungary. See this from @CasMudde https://bit.ly/2UK4jDc 2/
On the other extreme, ordinary people are bashing on social media or even denouncing friends and neighbors for doing activities harmless activities such a walking/jogging on their own or taking their dog outside. See here what is happening in Italy: https://bit.ly/39NUIzn 3/
Some governments are responding by banning exercise outside (Italy) or threatening to ban it (UK). Pay attention, these are most typically the same government that were slow and/or ineffective in their initial response to the pandemic... https://bit.ly/3aFfra1 4/
Frustrations because the effects of lockdown are delayed of 3-4 weeks are at the root of calls for draconian measures. In my view, there is also some sort of religious/magical thinking behind, the idea that the strongest the sacrifices we make, the greatest the (divine) reward.5/
But the idea that draconian measures would make a difference is dubious: the timing of lockdowns is far more important than the intensity of the measures. The problem in Italy and the UK is that measures were adopted too late, not that they are not strong enough. 6/
The only sacrifices that we need are the ones that can stop the contagion. Let's remember that, the more we suffer, the least we will be able to maintain the lockdown for the time necessary to suppress the transmission of the disease. 7/
Let's also remember that Covid-19 is most deadly in the presence of co-morbidity such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes, all conditions that are related to a lack of exercise and sedentary life. I'll leave it at that for the moment! 8/8
