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Updated February 4th, 2022 at 13:31 IST

COVID-19 lockdowns 'ineffective to reduce mortality' as only 0.2% deaths prevented: Study

A Johns Hopkins University study has claimed that COVID-19 lockdowns which were imposed worldwide only prevented 0.2% of deaths due to Coronavirus infections. 

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
COVID-19
Image: Shutterstock/AP | Image:self
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As the world enters the third year dominated by the Omicron variant of coronavirus, a Johns Hopkins University study has claimed that COVID-19 lockdowns imposed worldwide only prevented 0.2% of deaths due to the disease. The study, published in the Studies in Applied Economics January 2022 edition, stated that worldwide coronavirus lockdowns were “not an effective way of reducing mortality rates during a pandemic”.

In the paper, based on the review of at least 34 pre-existing COVID-19 studies, the researchers wrote, “We find no evidence that lockdowns, school closures, border closures, and limiting gatherings have had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality.”

Considering the “devastating effects” that such COVID-19 lockdowns have caused across the globe, the authors of the paper suggested that shutdowns should be “rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument.” The experts found out that in the United States and Europe, a lockdown could only be expected to decrease the COVID-19 mortality rates by 0.2% “as compared to a COVID-19 policy based solely on recommendations”. 

The 24 studies that authors deemed qualified for meta-analysis were further separated into three groups --- lockdown stringency index studies, shelter-in-place order (SIPO) studies, and specific NPI studies. The study concluded that SIPOs were also “ineffective, only reducing COVID-19 mortality by 2.9% on average.”

“While this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted. In consequence, lockdown policies are ill-founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument,” the authors wrote.

The authors of the study include Jonas Herby, Lars Jonung, and Steve H. Hanke. Johns Hopkins University has specifically mentioned on its website that the views expressed in the report are those of the authors and not necessarily of the entire university. 

Johns Hopkins University professor slams US media for downplaying study

After several nations imposed COVID-19 lockdowns for several months hoping to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Johns Hopkins University professor on Wednesday slammed American media outlets for downplaying the study, according to Daily Mail. Dr. Martin Makary, a professor of surgery at the private university in Baltimore, even warned that ‘people may already have their own narrative written' about COVID-19 lockdowns. Meanwhile, according to Johns Hopkins University, the global COVID-19 cases have surpassed 388 million while the fatalities have crossed five million, as of 4 February.

(Image: Shutterstock/AP)

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Published February 4th, 2022 at 13:31 IST

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