Without lockdowns, China would face a total collapse of hospitals for at least 3 months during the first wave. After that, China would have between 1600 to 3200 deaths per day depending if China could convince those elderly to be vaccinated and boosted.
Even Japan can't handle the surge of covid cases and need to turn away patients, China which has much less doctors and nurses per capita would fare much worse. Ending lockdowns would not provide much of boost for the economy either unless you give up all covid measures and no sick leave for workers.
I don't know why you guys think ending lockdowns would save the economy. In order to save the economy, you not only need to end lockdowns but at the same time you need to pretend covid is no more. Just like Biden announced, mission accomplished. No sick leave, no 5 days isolation, no testing, no hospitalizations unless you can't breath. Basically, you need to turn a blind eyes to those deaths and long covid.
Again, I would wait after this winter and spring to make another assessment if living with covid is really inevitable. But you need to know what prices need to be paid and accept that this is the price you are willing to pay. I just can't stand people keep claiming covid is just another cold.
