Reflections on the Year of the Covid: NZ COVID Plan B Symposium 13 Feb 2021

Arguing that data from around the world in 2020 show that Covid cases and deaths are policy-invariant. The key policy question is: What is the acceptable level of mortality risk relative to the damage to health, mental health, society, economy, disadvantaged sectors and poor countries from mitigation & containment policies? There's overwhelming evidence that net harm of costs of lockdown vastly exceeds net gain between less restrictive and harsh interventions. The refusal of governments to engage in whole-of-society cost-benefit analysis amounts to criminal neglect.