Ask HN: Can we stop Coronavirus if enough people volunteer to catch it? A virus would stop spreading in community if 40%-60% of people are immune, for example by catching it and producing antibody. So a radical approach would be to have people who are more likely to survive volunteer to catch it in quarantine and under care. It would make volunteers immune so that they can get back to life and work without worry and will stop the virus from hitting more vulnerable groups. |
I think there will be no easy answers or solutions.
0. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22520562
You might also consider the Chinese doctor largely responsible for initiating action and informing the public. He died, helping others. Repeat exposure might not have helped.
The main problem is that a small amount of the 40%-60% (I'd prefer more, like 70%) of the population will have complications (because they have an undiscover heart problem? they lie in the interview? bad luck?). And some of them will die (perhaps even for unrelated problem). And it doesn't matter how much paperwork they signed, the family will sue you and the press will fall over you.
(And probably the 40%-60% (70%) will not include children and it will propagate in schools, and also not include old people and it will propagate in geriatrics.)
Perhaps 99% of the people get enough immunity. Vaccines don't have a 100% of immunity protection neither.
The video linked in the article doesn't add much more information. Note that the written description says
> So, they need to prevent infection by increasing their physical activity, says Chinese expert.
that doesn't make any sense, but the translation in the video says
> cured patients should enhance their own health safeguards
Edit: I found https://globalnews.ca/news/6623287/coronavirus-multiple-infe... and https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-japan/japane... . It's not very clear, but it looks like a continuation of the first infection after a few week of no symptoms. Anyway, another reason not to infect 50% of the population on purpose.