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> An uncontrolled pandemic is also a deathblow to small businesses. How so? At worst 5% of the population are expected to die, mostly the old and infirm. Not

> An uncontrolled pandemic is also a deathblow to small businesses. How so? At worst 5% of the population are expected to die, mostly the old and infirm. Not doing anything against it would clearly be a deathblow to nursing homes, but which other businesses would greatly suffer?

ceejayoz 6y ago
As an example from early on: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/coronavirus-is-hitting-restaurants-hard-even-in-states-that-havent-shut-them-down/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/coronavirus-is-hitting-... > But even before DeWine’s March 15 order, restaurants were already feeling the impact of the coronavirus as customers began to avoid crowded areas in their cities. > But no matter whether the governor has issued an order or not, restaurants in every state available in the OpenTable data set have experienced declining dining attendance over the last two weeks. As public pleas for social distancing get louder, diners are forced to order food for take-away or delivery, or simply to cook at home. We saw the same in Sweden: Despite a fairly laissez-faire approach and fairly minimal restrictions, the economy still suffered greatly as people voluntarily said "it's not worth it" to things like indoor dining. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/sweden-economy-coronavirus.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/sweden-economy-c... > This is what has happened: Not only have thousands more people died than in neighboring countries that imposed lockdowns, but Sweden’s economy has fared little better. > And Swedish people responded to the fear of the virus by limiting their shopping — not enough to prevent elevated deaths, but enough to produce a decline in business activity.
- guenthert 6y ago
  So fear-mongering is bad for business? Who'd thought.
  - ceejayoz 6y ago
    There are legitimate reasons to fear an uncontrolled pandemic.
    - guenthert 6y ago
      You still make it sound like it would be the zombie apocalypse. Sure, if you're an elderly man, than you better take precautions -- the rest of us are more likely to die of other reasons.
      - stouset 6y ago
        Do you understand that there are common outcomes for the non-elderly between “death” and “bad cold”?
        guenthert 6y ago
        Numbers please. In the USA there have been more than 10 million cases. Of course you'll find all kind of weird and wonderful side effects (of the illness itself, as well as the experimental and sometimes hair-rising treatment the patients received). Most people however allegedly don't even noticed that the ever had it.

ceejayoz 6y ago

As an example from early on: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/coronavirus-is-hitting-restaurants-hard-even-in-states-that-havent-shut-them-down/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/coronavirus-is-hitting-... > But even before DeWine’s March 15 order, restaurants were already feeling the impact of the coronavirus as customers began to avoid crowded areas in their cities. > But no matter whether the governor has issued an order or not, restaurants in every state available in the OpenTable data set have experienced declining dining attendance over the last two weeks. As public pleas for social distancing get louder, diners are forced to order food for take-away or delivery, or simply to cook at home. We saw the same in Sweden: Despite a fairly laissez-faire approach and fairly minimal restrictions, the economy still suffered greatly as people voluntarily said "it's not worth it" to things like indoor dining. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/sweden-economy-coronavirus.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/sweden-economy-c... > This is what has happened: Not only have thousands more people died than in neighboring countries that imposed lockdowns, but Sweden’s economy has fared little better. > And Swedish people responded to the fear of the virus by limiting their shopping — not enough to prevent elevated deaths, but enough to produce a decline in business activity.

guenthert 6y ago
So fear-mongering is bad for business? Who'd thought.
- ceejayoz 6y ago
  There are legitimate reasons to fear an uncontrolled pandemic.
  - guenthert 6y ago
    You still make it sound like it would be the zombie apocalypse. Sure, if you're an elderly man, than you better take precautions -- the rest of us are more likely to die of other reasons.
    - stouset 6y ago
      Do you understand that there are common outcomes for the non-elderly between “death” and “bad cold”?
      - guenthert 6y ago
        Numbers please. In the USA there have been more than 10 million cases. Of course you'll find all kind of weird and wonderful side effects (of the illness itself, as well as the experimental and sometimes hair-rising treatment the patients received). Most people however allegedly don't even noticed that the ever had it.