With apologies to longtime Hotline readers who have heard this before, we thought given the threat of another virus panic by the politicians, that we would restate the incontrovertible facts about lockdowns. We’ve updated the analysis for the 50 states through recent weeks. Some states like New York had very strict lockdowns, and others like Florida pretty much let people make their own decisions.

The evidence hasn’t changed much: lockdowns had at best a very small, but negligible effect in reducing deaths from Covid. Even that small positive effect may well have been offset by deaths of despair – drug overdoses, suicides, etc. – caused by lockdowns.

Lockdowns had a severe and lasting negative effect on the economies in the states. To this day nearly two years later, lockdown states have very significantly higher unemployment rates.

Our New Year’s wish is that we don’t do this again.