I enjoy “what if” scenarios so I have been trying to imagine what a “power” through” scenario looks like.
Health care system gone to third world status for sure, probably 1800s.
That means the death rate would rise to 7-8% of infected folks, and the death rate from all other causes would double or triple during the period.
Folks collapsing in their offices, in their vehicles, in mass transit.
Many folks refuse to show up to work—call in sick even if they are healthy. That would include health care workers, first responders of all sorts.
Then the federal and local governments would have to draft people into critical functions and order them to work at gunpoint.
The economy would crash and burn—probably to depression levels.
But—in a few months it would be over.
Needless to say any public officials at any level would need to flee far far away and never return.
Great SF stuff....
Yes, it would be over in a few months.
It would take generations to recover. If really ever.
Think Rome’s collapse. But in a month or two, not several generations.
How long before we had municipal water supplies again? nearly 2000 years...
Ditto decent roads.
How many of the 40 somethings would die also? Probably lots. They survive now because we HAVE ventilators for them and they’re young enough to recover IF they have a ventilator. Without vents they’d die just like the 70yr olds.
The 40-60yr olds are the biggest taxpaying demographic there is. If 5%-10% of them are dead or so ill long term they can’t return to productivity what does that do to our economy all by itself?