Since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, Swiss federal measures have been based heavily on epidemiological assumptions and scenarios. The primacy of virus control has been accompanied by a far-reaching curtailment of basic individual and economic rights. The economic distortions have been massive, while secondary health and social effects, such as mental illness, have increased sharply.

Date:
Title: Trade-offs in Pandemic Response
Subtitle: The unanswered questions about the lockdown
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, Swiss federal measures have been based heavily on epidemiological assumptions and scenarios. The primacy of virus control has been accompanied by a far-reaching curtailment of basic individual and economic rights. The economic distortions have been massive, while secondary health and social effects, such as mental illness, have increased sharply.

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After nearly a year of exceptional conditions, the state’s crisis management is coming under increasing criticism from various quarters, and serious questions are emerging about the trade-offs in the fight against the pandemic.

In this analysis, Avenir Suisse describes these and asks fundamental questions that have been only partially answered to date:

  • What are the strategic goals of the federal government in its pandemic response?
  • What restrictions on freedom are justified for this purpose, taking into account the growing number of vaccinated persons?
  • How great is the economic and financial impact that can be sustained by private companies and the state?
  • What collateral damage to public health is deemed acceptable in prioritizing the fight against Covid-19?

Pandemic control should increasingly focus on the welfare of society as a whole. This implies that policy makers explicitly address the trade-offs made and answers the relevant questions.