How about some education before we throw out the baby with the bathwater or crucify someone for making the best public interest decisions possible.
I’ve worked with models a lot in my work; here’s how modeling works:
- Available data are compiled and evaluated
- Related factors are established based on the data (e.g., Ro, fatality rate, etc.)
- Other variables affecting the future changes are estimated, like the impact of social distancing
- The model is run, and results compared to actual data
- Factors and variables are adjusted to calibrate to the historical data
- The model is run for future predictions.
- After time passes, newly available data is used to refine and re-run the model
- Repeat 7. as appropriate.
In the case of COVID-19 data, there was little historical data due to the novelty of the virus, and what was available was questionable. So the initial models were weak. That doesn’t mean they were worthless. To make an analogy, it’s like driving through a rainstorm with bad wiper blades. It’s hard to see, so be very cautious, but don’t stop looking out the window!
Acton and DeWine relied on that data - the best available at the time - to make decisions in the best interest of Ohioans by implementing early and rigorous social distancing. Those initial models
underestimated the positive impacts of social distancing measures. That’s why we now seeing numbers (cases, deaths) much lower than the original model predictions, and why the newly updated models are forecasting lower numbers. You can look State-by-State and see the more rigorous the social distancing, the greater deviation from the original model (like in Ohio).
For those second guessing the social distancing measures, it’s like taking Tamiflu when the flu is coming on, not getting the flu, then claiming the Tamiflu wasn’t necessary!
Keep in mind the sole purpose of social distancing is to prevent the number of cases from exceeding the capacity of the medical system. Doing this greatly lowers deaths due to COVID-19, and collateral deaths related to inability to treat other medical conditions. The actions of DeWine and Acton have done this. They have saved lives, and Ohio is now much closer than many other States to returning to normal.