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It is sad, because (optimistically) COVID-19 is comparable in impact to, e.g. measles. We ran a massive worldwide campaign to eliminate measles in the 20th cent
by knzhou 7y ago
It is sad, because (optimistically) COVID-19 is comparable in impact to, e.g. measles. We ran a massive worldwide campaign to eliminate measles in the 20th century, and largely succeeded.
Now, I've heard older people optimistically say, "COVID-19 isn't such a big deal, it's just like measles coming back, like when I was a kid". But to me, this is a sad signal of societal decline. We can't go to the moon anymore, we can't build big infrastructure anymore, and now apparently we can't even hold on to the public health gains we made 40 years ago.
- bonzini 7y agoThis is a completely new disease though. If a vaccine can be found we can surely build herd immunity, it's even simpler than with measles, but you need to find that vaccine first. Measles was still killing thousands of people every year until the 70s.