Sar2 is not "just another flu" thats an accepted consensus. Its likely that if someone is saying that they have little grasp of the facts
We have vaccines for the flu and some herd immunity
Furthermore, we shouldn't underplay the flu its a nasty disease
On Covid19
Currently best evidence synthesis says immunity post covid is potentially 3 months or longer, but no guarantee of long term immunity... so going all out for herd immunity may be a false and costly strategy
The jury is still out
The UK delay in mitigation in favor of a herd immunity challenge was a good example of how fast this virus can spread and cost a significant loss of life.
The n-shaped death curves we've seen may not occur acutely again (remains to be seen, if they follow a similar trajectory to the 1918 pandemic mortality curves) even if case numbers rise
This may be due to a number of things:
1) spreading in younger under 45 years old and less vulnerable
2) protection of older or more vulnerable
3) protection of nursing and care homes
4) the initial wave may have hit the most vulnerable
5) weakening of the virus (not proven but potentially a game changer)
6) Better public health strategies
7) More attention to social distancing, mask usage and hand hygiene
As we don't have a vaccine, the closest thing we have to a vaccine at the moment it is public health measures:
protect the vulnerable, social distancing, mask usage and hand hygiene, and trace and test to isolate cases
A huge part of this is self responsibility
There is little doubt with mitigation strategies this virus could have been far worse mostly by overwhelming healthcare structures. We came fairly close to full CCU capacity.
Generally, countries that delayed or fragmented public health strategies fared worse...
But in the end all nations are struggling and its vitally important to get economies up and running and its absolutely possible to do this in a measured way
Here the priority is : Work, school, healthcare and sport
there is no golden bullet, yet, but a mix of strategies is likely to induce a better outcome