The debate about how to respond to the #COVID19 pandemic is often framed as a scientific, or a scientific/economic problem. I do not believe it really is. Instead, it is primarily a moral and ethical conundrum. The main reason is that there is no solution, only tradeoffs.
(1/8)

There are many uncertainties left about #COVID19, but I believe we should have enough evidence to implement scientifically-informed pandemic mitigation strategies at this stage. The problem, though, is whether we, as a society, can agree on what to maximise/minimise.
(2/8)

Any rational, scientifically driven, strategy would require addressing some uncomfortable, possibly unanswerable questions, such as: What is the relative value of a child's education, of the life an elderly person in a care home in Europe/the US, or of a child in Africa?
(3/8)

Opinions on the best course of action do not seem to depend on qualification. Those I consider as genuine experts in pandemic mitigation and global health seem equally divided in their views as the wider public. Opinions also do not fall along obvious political lines
(4/8)

Many countries do not seem to have a clear long-term strategy. For those that do (e.g. Sweden or Singapore), I believe their motivations and policies are generally equally moral and ethical. The difference is the weight they put on mutually exclusive objectives.
(5/8)

Each country faces a unique, idiosyncratic challenge and has to respond with the means at their disposal. As such, it may often be pointless to compare the 'performance' of their #COVID19 strategy at this stage of the pandemic.
(6/8)

Between-country comparisons of #COVID19 mitigation strategies may not even be particularly informative with the benefit of hindsight. Countries are interdependent, and every single epidemic is unique, with local and stochastic factors playing an important role.
(7/8)

There is no solution and those who claim otherwise are insufficiently informed. As such, it would be helpful if we could get over the endless sloganeering and engaged in an adult and honest discussion about what we value most and reached responsible decisions, accordingly.
(8/8)