Two things:
1. My point is that we need to look past the "short run." I'm not saying those 8 million aren't important. I'm saying that we need to look at which solutions will bring the largest number of them back out of poverty, and in good health. That may not be the same thing as bringing them out of poverty as fast as possible.
2. I'm working under the assumption that a vaccine will eventually be available, because if not, then letting the disease run its course - with all the deaths that entails - is the only other option available, and I'm not ready to fall back on that alternative. Sadly, we may eventually be forced to, but not yet, please.
1), we need to be realistic about the chances of developing and testing a vaccine, and then inoculating everyone, sooner than a significant percent of the population won't have already acquired it anyway.
something that seems totally ignored in all discussions.
2) polls show a good percent of the population won't take the vaccine anyway.
something else totally ignored in all discussions.
3) a good percentage of the population flat isn't going to distance or mask any more, let alone for another 6, 12, 18 months, so any strategy dependent on them doing so is idiocracy imo, and designed to fail from the start.
4) half or more of the population can relatively safely acquire herd immunity, and we already know who that group is.
in addition, many over 50 have already said "f" it, and have no intention of locking down, distancing, or wearing masks any more.
add the relatively immune and those who have already voluntarily said "f" it, and we probably have 70% of the population to either safely build herd immunity with, or who are already voluntarily pursuing that end on their own..
4) money wise, what is being talked about for the next round of covid stimulous, (2 trillion), would finance $1,000 mo for almost every person in the country 50 yrs or older for over a year and a half, so not like the current "no plan" hope for a miracle plan, is cheaper than just financing those who need to totally lock down while the rest of the population acquires herd immunity. (say 3 months or less).
5) if there is no herd immunity we're all screwed anyway, but i don't know of anyone who got a Spanish flu vaccine last yr.
6) point being we need to logistically and financially enable those at risk who don't want to take their chances to totally lock down for say 3 months while everybody else goes back to normal life, (no masks, no distancing, full stadiums and arenas, concerts, classes), and we as a group acquire heard immunity for the freed universe, while the locked down universe is basically in quarantine for 3 months, so they shouldn't be carriers either at that point.
that of course won't solve everything, but will establish herd immunity quickly for the freed universe and make the locked down universe pretty much covid free, while a vaccine is still pursued until one is perfected, and/or a cure, or we find there is no longer a need for either anymore. (big pharma, thus the media they fund, will hate this plan).
so once testing shows continued spread at virtually zero, even the "at risk" can come out of their bunkers far more safely than now, while a vaccine and cure can still be pursued full steam ahead in the mean time.
7) what i suggest is much like what's going on now,
EXCEPT,
A), i'm probably cutting the time till herd immunity to maybe 3 months instead of maybe 12 months dragging things out as we are now doing.
B), i'm enabling those who need and wish to lockdown in the mean time to financially and logistically do so, and hopefully limit deaths to a fraction of what we'll otherwise experience by doing so.
C), in totally freeing say 65% of the population to return to normal life the minute the financing is in place, (the 65% who do maybe 90 plus % of discretionary spending at that), so hopefully businesses large and small can get back to more normal business revenues on literally day one of our saying "go" on such a plan.
disclaimer,
while deeply flawed, and still with many deaths and some continued economic hardship, i still think we would have a fraction of the deaths as we are currently headed for, a fraction of the economic ruin, and a fraction of the time to return to normalcy for all.
that said, i'm all in for a better plan if anybody has one.