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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate? How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!' The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us' The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us'
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!' The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
The collective coordination state The collective coordination state
Test, trace, isolate, protect Test, trace, isolate, protect
Lockdown puts us on the path to totalitarian rule Lockdown puts us on the path to totalitarian rule
The state should not control the individual The state should not control the individual
The greater good must come first The greater good must come first
The UK lockdown model is false The UK lockdown model is false
Death rate predictions are rooted in lies Death rate predictions are rooted in lies
The government cannot be trusted The government cannot be trusted
Most people have already had the virus Most people have already had the virus
The pandemic will kill, lockdown or no lockdown The pandemic will kill, lockdown or no lockdown
We should relax the lines between the public and the private We should relax the lines between the public and the private
The role of the state must adapt in times of crisis The role of the state must adapt in times of crisis
Give the healthy their independence back Give the healthy their independence back
The state should end lockdown in phases The state should end lockdown in phases
We must trust Neil Ferguson's model We must trust Neil Ferguson's model
Public health supersedes any other consideration during the pandemic Public health supersedes any other consideration during the pandemic
Despot now, doughnut later Despot now, doughnut later
Lifting the lockdown will give rise to a police state, which must be avoided Lifting the lockdown will give rise to a police state, which must be avoided
Lifting lockdown forces workers to risk their lives during the pandemic Lifting lockdown forces workers to risk their lives during the pandemic
The lockdown solves a problem of private and social cost The lockdown solves a problem of private and social cost
We should stop the virus from spreading We should stop the virus from spreading
Contact tracing apps can potentially help individuals monitor their risk of exposure and transmission Contact tracing apps can potentially help individuals monitor their risk of exposure and transmission
More public health jobs would be created in the UK More public health jobs would be created in the UK
We need to support the test, trace, and isolation infrastructure We need to support the test, trace, and isolation infrastructure
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
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Test, trace, isolate, protect

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We should stop the virus from spreading

The only way to stop the virus from spreading is to isolate everyone who has it or has been exposed to it. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. Unfortunately, many more people will be affected if effective measures are not implemented to quarantine infected individuals.
Crystal Watson George Rutherford Matt Hancock
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The Argument

Originating in a small live animal market in Wuhan, China, the coronavirus spread to 193 countries and infected over 14 million people. [1] The transmission of this virus was accelerated by air travel, cruise ships, immigration, and emigration. All of these modes have one thing in common: They involve infected people traveling and coming in contact with others. The test, trace, isolate, and protect strategy seeks to address this exact problem. Anyone who is suspicious of having the virus or is experiencing early symptoms is advised to self-quarantine and get tested. If they test positive, they are supposed to continue in self-quarantine and notify authorities about everyone they came in contact with. Then these close-contact people are advised to self-quarantine and if they do begin to experience symptoms, they are supposed to report them. The cycle continues and the goal is to figure out everyone who has COVID-19 or is at risk of getting the virus. By following this process, over a span of weeks or months, there would be no more new cases since people cannot transmit the virus to others. Coronavirus needs a human host cell to provide it with food and energy which activates it. If infected people are getting effective treatment and cannot spread it to anyone, then the virus will become deactivated. The only sure way to annihilate such a contagious disease is to isolate those who are infected and stop it from spreading.

Counter arguments

The test, trace, isolate, and protect program is entirely dependent on individuals choosing to self-quarantine themselves and reporting those they have come in contact with. After months of being in lockdown, people have naturally grown tired of not being able to meet their friends, visit beaches, parks, and return to their workplaces. There is a high possibility that even if they do start experiencing symptoms, they will refuse to heed the warning signs and go on lockdown. Even if they do choose to self-quarantine, they might not report their close contacts as they would be encroaching on someone else's freedom. This whole system is based on individual responsibility and choice which is not entirely reliable given the circumstances we live in.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/global-covid-19/world-map.html
This page was last edited on Thursday, 30 Jul 2020 at 19:14 UTC

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