@Morrison6when working with modelling Gompertzian functions, generally for comparisons most models set a common asymptote and or intercept with a varying growth rate.
In many ways this is what governments around the world are doing- setting an infection threshold and working out the measures to achieve that. The asymptote is the key figure- and the differences are stark.
There is no right answer to this question- the disparate outcomes and approaches across many different geographies directly attests to this, so anyone suggesting otherwise probably lacks the humility or intellect to deal adequately with uncertainty. From my perspective, the whole concept of an economy and capitalism is illusory and lies hierarchically below more fundamental human experiences, which are also being traded off currently to control the virus- in many ways that are unpalatable to us as human beings. Even if the end outcome is an endemic virus with herd immunity, the offshoot benefits that may be delivered by focusing on fundamental public health practices and our understanding of virology, dynamic public health interventions for more contagious pathogens etc may provide the necessary knowledge and experience to deal with future plagues. I think we will properly know best policy, in retrospect, after determining outcomes of the various approaches used in mid-2021. The question then remains- what should the guiding principles be from a societal perspective when dealing with a new problem?
