Here is a short, interesting, plain-English breakdown of the data, assumptions and events that happened in the first half (-ish) of 2020. A few excerpts to get you started:
“...As health authorities responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing lock downs and other mitigation measures with minimal supporting evidence, scientists warned of “a fiasco in the making,”47 Caution was also raised against violations of fundamental principles of science and logic,such as the mistaken assumption that correlation implies causation...”
“...Fear, in contrast to moral civic duty and political orientation,was shown to be a more powerful predictor of compliance with mitigating behavior in response to a viral pandemic, but with decreasing well being and poorer decision making.61...Even if a threat ceases to exist, prolonged fearful avoidance of threats is maladaptive and restricts a return to normal social interaction and productivity.63”
“...Enforced lockdowns increased domestic violence, closed businesses and schools, laid off workers, restricted travel, affected capital markets, threatened the security of low-income families, and saddled governments with massive debt. Between February and April 2020, U.S. unemployment rose from 3.5%, the lowest in 50 years, to 14.7%.71A recession in the United States was also officially declared in June 2020 by the National Bureau of Economic Research, ending 128 months of historic economic expansion...”
https://www.cambridge.org/core/servi...estimation.pdf