Five medical experts published a letter in the Canadian Medical Association Journal urging for an end to wide-sweeping lockdowns.
The letter was co-authored and signed by the following specialists: Infectious Disease Specialist, Jennifer M Grant, Respirologists, Jane Batt, Infectious Diseases Specialist Martha Fulford, Medical Microbiologist Jocelyn A Srigley and Respirologist Nick Vozoris.
“It is impossible to accurately describe the social and economic impact for all people,” they wrote.
“Places with heavy lockdowns and severe limitations of economic activity have still seen high case transmission continue despite these measures. Furthermore, having moderate rates of transmission correlates with little, if any excess mortality.”
The letter goes on to describe how lockdowns only add to growing inequality.
“The ultimate fate of COVID-19 is most likely to become seasonal, with iteratively smaller waves. Vaccines will likely get us there faster. A no-more-waves strategy will exacerbate inequality and cause significant health harms; it is an indefensible equation,” the letter reads.
This is not the first time that medical professionals have spoken out against public officials’ willingness to plunge their citizens into lockdowns.
In October, World Health Organization official Dr. David Nabarro urged global politicians to not use lockdowns as the primary way to control the virus.
“We in the World Health Organisation do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” said Dr. Nabarro at the time.
“The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganise, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we’d rather not do it.”
