Johns Hopkins Study Reignites COVID Lockdown Debate

Recent Johns Hopkins meta-analysis found that lockdowns had no significant mortality benefit in the first wave of 2020 pandemics in Europe and the United States.

The authors of the study said that there is no evidence that lockdowns or school closures, border closings, and limiting gatherings had an effect on COVID-19 deaths. This study was not peer-reviewed. It reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily the university.

However, the study authors found that closing non-essential businesses decreased COVID-19 mortalities by 10.6%. This is most likely due to the closing of bars.

Jonas Herby (special advisor at the Center for Political Studies, Copenhagen, Denmark) stated that the study showed the benefits of lockdowns — in terms fewer deaths — were questionable and small. Herby is co-author of the study and his research focuses on economics and law.

Herby, along with two other economists, wrote the meta-analysis. This is a study or survey of prior studies. It noted that lockdowns can have “devastating consequences” because society has to weather their unintended consequences.

The report stated that they had contributed to the reduction of economic activity, increasing unemployment, reducing schooling and causing political unrest. They also contributed to domestic violence, undermining liberal democracy.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the research directly contradicts the most popular lockdown model led by Neil Ferguson. This was responsible for driving the world’s response COVID-19 that “jarred both the U.S.A. and the U.K. into action.”

Ferguson co-wrote a landmark Nature paper published in June 2020. It estimated that lockdowns in spring that year could have saved three million European lives. Multiple reports have indicated that the study did not include the research as it relied on modeling.

Ferguson posted the following on Science Media Centre, an information hub for scientists and journalists in the United Kingdom.

According to the Guardian, Ferguson resigned from his government position on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (May 2020) after breaking lockdown protocol when Antonia Staats, his lover, crossed London from their home to visit him at least twice while lockdown measures were in place.

Johns Hopkins researchers admitted that the study had limitations. They excluded Ferguson’s study to avoid biases caused by seasonality and other time-dependent factors. According to a United Kingdom report, papers that examined early lockdowns in China (which suppressed COVID-19 to extremely low death rates) were not included.

Multiple reports indicate that lockdowns continue to experience aftershocks even after their lockdowns were lifted.

“The virus has long-term consequences for your health, including long COVID and long-term mental health effects from the death of a parent, spouse or grandparent due to COVID-19,” stated Dr. Julie Vaishampayan who is chair of the public health committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

“The measures taken to slow down the spread are likely to have long-lasting health effects.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that 41% of Americans delayed or avoided getting medical care due to COVID-19 concerns. This includes 12% who did not seek urgent or emergency care and 32% of those who ignored routine care. According to the past Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, those findings showed a higher prevalence in people with multiple medical conditions, Black and Hispanic adults, and young adults with disabilities.

According to a New York Times report, most students are back at school but many struggles academically due to the effects of months of online learning. Others, however, have chosen to change schools or drop out.

The Times noted that students still feel lonely and anxious and that they believe the system has failed and given them responsibilities that aren’t theirs.

“Today’s children will have to bear this burden along with diminished skill, thanks to distance-learning disaster demanded so many so-called experts on public health,” stated James Freeman, assistant editor at The Wall Street Journal’s editorial Page and frequent host of Fox Nation’s “Deep Dive”.

The New England Journal of Medicine examined the psychological effects of quarantined people and found that some of these emotional outcomes remained after the quarantine was lifted.

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, stated that the president had made it clear that he is not pushing lockdowns and that he has not been pro-lockdown. This was in response to being asked about the Johns Hopkins paper during a recent press conference.