Rethinking Lockdowns: A cost benefit analysis by Dr. Ari Joffe

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Ari Joffe, a specialist in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases, examines both the efficacy and cost of lockdown measures employed in Canada and globally in early 2020. «I was an initial proponent of lockdowns,» explains Dr. Joffe. The resurgence of cases throughout much of the world, and the return to lockdowns in various jurisdictions, points to some of the drawbacks associated with an overreliance of such nonpharmaceutical interventions. Lockdowns have also resulted in a wide-range of unintended ramifications.

Joffe argues that Canadians have been essentially presented with a «false dichotomy» — between a choice of either economically-damaging lockdowns or lethal inaction. «Various cost-benefit analyses from different countries, including some of these costs, have consistently estimated the cost in lives from lockdowns to be at least five to 10 times higher than the benefit, and likely far higher,» writes Dr. Joffe. Instead of resorting to lockdowns, policy-makers must better balance priorities while still protecting those most vulnerable to the virus. Better public education on the cost-benefit analysis of conducting lockdowns, and ensure that future consideration of lockdowns factor in more than just COVID-19 cases numbers.

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Source: Macdonald-Laurier Institute

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