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Extreme impacts are occurring as a result of #Coronavirus actions. Most who influence decisions aren’t using a full interdisciplinary analysis of impacts but are the first to admonish those who question them as “not listening to experts”. Here is what #CongressDoesNotKnow:
How many will die from breast cancer, lung cancer & prostate cancer because we aren’t doing elective “checkups” today? A study from Harvard demonstrated that 260,000 people died of cancer as a direct result of the 08-10 recession: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/economic-downturn-excess-cancer-deaths-atun/ #CongressDoesNotKnow
How many suicides will occur as a result of financially crushed lives & businesses? Studies linking unemployment & suicide are robust & if past observations hold true, it will correlate to tens of thousands of additional suicides: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/the-link-between-unemployment-and-suicide/ #CongressDoesNotKnow
#Coronavirus actions will lead to substance abuse. Studies show a clear link between the rise of illicit drug use & unemployment. How many lives will be lost due to just this? It will be measured in the thousands if past trends hold: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395917300877 #CongressDoesNotKnow
With increased illicit drug use, how will that further empower cartels, who currently maintain operational control of our border? Spikes in Fentanyl and Opioid abuse will line the pockets of cartels who murder and harm tens of thousands of people a year. #CongressDoesNotKnow
What will the mental health impacts on people & families be if we continue down our current courses of action, continuing to lock down our economy? Studies show a clear link between mental health deterioration and unemployment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5544462/
#CongressDoesNotKnow
#CongressDoesNotKnow
Social scientists have long demonstrated a link between increased murder rates and increased unemployment. How will the murder rate be affected as a result of unemployment due to shutting down the economy? #CongressDoesNotKnow https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/53294/theeffectsofunemploymentoncimerates.pdf
How will violent crime rates be affected by the decisions to lock down our economy? #CongressDoesNotKnow
How will robbery rates be affected by the decisions to lock down our economy? #CongressDoesNotKnow
How many more domestic assaults will occur as a result of the decisions to lock down our economy? Unemployment and financial distress correlate to an increase is such harm. We are already seeing a spike in some instances: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/domestic-violence-shelters-say-they-are-being-swamped-with-calls-as-many-people-are-asked-to-stay-at-home-to-avoid-exposure-to-covid-19/287-2aad7770-6b9f-4e8d-a03b-305bf667762f #CongressDoesNotKnow
How will the impacts of the current lockdowns correlate to child abuse? We know the numbers will go up significantly, we are already seeing it: https://upnewsinfo.com/2020/03/21/north-texas-hospital-reports-a-spike-in-severe-child-abuse-cases-believe-linked-to-stress-from-coronavirus-pandemic-up-news-info-dallas-fort-worth/ #CongressDoesNotKnow
Economic stress and unemployment correlate directly to increased instances of heart disease. How many people will die due to heart attacks from the unemployment being caused by the current lockdown policies? #CongressDoesNotKnow https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24727560/
How many people will be harmed by the criminals being let out of jails due to #Coronavirus justifications? #CongressDoesNotKnow
How many jobs and businesses will be permanently lost due to the actions taken to shut down our economy? #CongressDoesNotKnow
As the impacts on our energy sectors continue to occur, what will be the long-term implications on affordable energy for hard working families? #CongressDoesNotKnow
Pooled resources through the institution of marriage statistically lead to greater economic security and happiness. How will the economic devastation of 50+ million people affect divorce rates? #CongressDoesNotKnow https://time.com/4425061/unemployment-divorce-men-women/
Economic well-being correlates to academic achievement in children. We attempt to fill that delta through robust expenditures on education. How many children will be negatively impacted due to shutting down the economy and strained resources? #CongressDoesNotKnow
What will be the long-term public health impacts of prolonged food insecurity due to 50+ million people that are projected to be unemployed as a result of the current lockdowns? #CongressDoesNotKnow
Many smart people are looking into these questions and coming to the same conclusion. See this article from Jacki Deason, Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. ( @TPPF) https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/04/21/what_a_prolonged_shutdown_will_cost_in_human_life.html?fbclid=IwAR2n_zJ6va121L0Hw-w7QsfX4W7lXlTie3C1UATkSQqfDJEubm-Kkmi0A2U
I also wrote about the need to gather these answers in order to make sure the decisions being made by elected officials are doing the least amount of human harm and preserving the most human life. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/rep-chip-roy-america-should-remember-to-fight-despair-coronavirus
Just from a cursory analysis & based on the latest modeling that we have available, it is clear that our reaction to the #Coronavirus, i.e. shutting down our economy, is doing more human harm, and may lead to more loss of life than alternative paths that open our economy.
When advocates for reopening the economy are accused of “not listening to the experts”, it seems readily apparent that the opposite of that claim is often the case. Many of us are listening to a wide variety of experts, not just one field of expertise.
Reopening the economy is clearly the pathway of least harm. Doing so can be done logically. People are self-interested beings, they don’t want to get sick, and many will continue to distance as necessary, continue to wear masks when necessary, and wash their hands.
Business can put in place new procedures that protect employees and customers alike while still thriving. We should allow them to do so. We can continue to flatten the curve while avoiding most of the negative second order impacts. Our leaders should embrace that approach.
