Economic contraction can be countered by government spending in the short term. For instance in the UK the government has pledged to pay up to 80% of unemployed

Economic contraction can be countered by government spending in the short term. For instance in the UK the government has pledged to pay up to 80% of unemployed workers wages during this crisis. There will certainly be a hole to dig out of later, but it means no binary choice between economic contraction and people dying.