3 ms·

We should figure out what Sub-Saharan Africa is doing right and then emulate that, because they've been by far the least affected, despite a 6% vaccination rate

by User23 5y ago

We should figure out what Sub-Saharan Africa is doing right and then emulate that, because they've been by far the least affected, despite a 6% vaccination rate. More on that here[1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29278184 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29278184

occamrazor 5y ago
They are young and spend a lot of time outside.
rsynnott 5y ago
> and then emulate that What they're doing 'right', in general, is not having a lot of old people. It would be rather difficult for most developed countries to emulate _that_.
- betwixthewires 5y ago
  Not for long with the rate things are going with covid. Morbid jokes aside, what I see here is an indicator that vulnerable people need to be protected (if they want), and the rest of the young healthy population needs to go on with life, and probably spend a little more time outside.
  - rsynnott 5y ago
    Keeping all unvaccinated elderly people under house arrest forever probably wouldn't fly. And the "if they want" thing doesn't work; they, obviously, do _not_ want, and would go out, get infected, and overload the ICUs. Ultimately it all comes back to the hospitals; if they're overloaded then suddenly things get a _lot_ worse, and people start dying of preventable non-covid things.
    - betwixthewires 5y ago
      Well, it wouldn't be forever. Yes, I enjoy morbid jokes. Preventing the young who probably won't wind up in hospitals from doing whatever they want doesn't solve the problem of vulnerable people not obeying lockdowns and winding up in an ICU. And it doesn't seem to affect the transmission rate if 2 years of data are telling us anything useful. The vulnerable who choose not to protect themselves are going to wind up in an ICU whether the young healthy people are living their lives or not. So what's the solution then?

3 ms·

We should figure out what Sub-Saharan Africa is doing right and then emulate that, because they've been by far the least affected, despite a 6% vaccination rate

by User23 5y ago

occamrazor 5y ago
They are young and spend a lot of time outside.
rsynnott 5y ago
> and then emulate that What they're doing 'right', in general, is not having a lot of old people. It would be rather difficult for most developed countries to emulate _that_.
- betwixthewires 5y ago
  Not for long with the rate things are going with covid. Morbid jokes aside, what I see here is an indicator that vulnerable people need to be protected (if they want), and the rest of the young healthy population needs to go on with life, and probably spend a little more time outside.
  - rsynnott 5y ago
    Keeping all unvaccinated elderly people under house arrest forever probably wouldn't fly. And the "if they want" thing doesn't work; they, obviously, do _not_ want, and would go out, get infected, and overload the ICUs. Ultimately it all comes back to the hospitals; if they're overloaded then suddenly things get a _lot_ worse, and people start dying of preventable non-covid things.
    - betwixthewires 5y ago
      Well, it wouldn't be forever. Yes, I enjoy morbid jokes. Preventing the young who probably won't wind up in hospitals from doing whatever they want doesn't solve the problem of vulnerable people not obeying lockdowns and winding up in an ICU. And it doesn't seem to affect the transmission rate if 2 years of data are telling us anything useful. The vulnerable who choose not to protect themselves are going to wind up in an ICU whether the young healthy people are living their lives or not. So what's the solution then?