FAQ #2 - My .02

If we're all going to get infected, why bother with social distancing/lockdown/isolation? Also known as "Flattening the Curve" - The issues here are "incidence" (the rate of new infections) and health care system capacity ... if we all get infected fast and furious, then yes, we'll achieve herd immunity faster (no more uninfecteds to expand into) but we'll overwhelm the the ability of the health care system to treat all those of us who'll need ICU beds, ventilators and respiratory technicians ... since ICU beds are fungible, one in use is one that is not available to the next person needing a spot ... I've read that the US has approximately 100K ICU beds nationwide - with a 70% penetration, if we all get CoVID-19 in three months, we'll need 350000000×.7×.034×2×(2÷12) or 277K+ beds ... Wasn't it Palin who talked about "Death Panels"? ... we'll need to turn away about 2/3s of those who need ICU assistance - triaging and rationing the ICU beds ... in short, someone is going to have to tell Grandma that she can't have a ICU bed/ventilator since Millenial/Gen X'er wanted to go out and hang with his friends at Coachella and is now using the space if we don't slow the incidence https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/11/flattening-curve-coronavirus/