"This second study out of the US backs up the results of the previous Scottish study. Over ten years average loss of expected life resulting from COVID."
Except that dealing "hypotheticals" doesn't constitute a study; it is merely an unqualified prediction of some person(s).
Attached below is an actual real, peer-reviewed study conducted by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which shows that the median decedent age was 78 years.
That's bang in line with life expectancy the USA today.
Also, that 80% of people over 65, and 92% over 55 years of age make up the deceased.
As for the 8% younger than 55 years, that cohort needs to be qualified by co-morbidity factors, namely:
61% had cardiovascular disease
50% had diabetes
22% had chronic kidney disease
21% had chronic lung disease
21% were obesity
18% had immunosuppression
12% had neurologic conditions
4% had chronic liver conditions
Anyone can conjure up hypothetical scenarios, but when those scenarios deviate wildly far from empirical observations, they tend to be worth not very much at all.
As case in point, I recall all the hypothetical scenarios that all manner of "experts" were presenting when this pandemic first broke out, including deaths of 75,000 in Australia and emergency wards being flooded with ICU cases.
Which is why I far prefer evidence-based thinking.
