The US Census bureau says that 16.5% of the population is over age 65.
Obesity is another risk factor for Covid-19; 42.5% of the US population is obese. Diabetes is also a risk factor; 10.5% of the population has diabetes. These are CDC figures. The rate of heart disease is not quite so obvious (CDC discusses death rate from heart disease and risk factors, but I couldn't find an overall assessment of the rate of heart disease).
So, taking age and preexisting conditions into account, there is an extremely high number of people--at least 42%--whose freedom you would curtail so that those at lower risk could continue their lives of indulgence.
In my mind, it is far better to practice social distancing, wear masks, and use the tools of epidemiology to contain localized outbreaks than to remain a prisoner in my own home so that a bunch of entitled millennials can indulge themselves by protesting the very system that produced the standard of living they take for granted.
“So, taking age and preexisting conditions into account, there is an extremely high number of people—at least 42%—whose freedom you would curtail so that those at lower risk could continue their lives of indulgence.”
THe single greatest factor in the death rate is age. Just look at the ages of those dying, or said to be dying from China Virus and you will see a full 80% are age 65 and up.
My point was there was NEVER a need to shut down the economy. We have all been played and it couldn’t be more obvious.
https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Provisional-COVID-19-Death-Counts-by-Sex-Age-and-S/9bhg-hcku