Why is there no sensible health economics debate around Covid?

[covidity]

There has ALWAYS been a balance struck by successive governments between the cost of treating disease and its benefit.
This is why NICE was founded and why various new treatments e.g. for cancer are rationed or not available at all on the NHS.

When looking at treatments, NICE generally looks to approve those whose 'cost per life year saved' is no more than approx £20,000-£30,000.
So a life-saving treatment for a 10 year old is likely to be such better value, as it has saved approx 75 years of life for that child.

By contrast, a life-saving treatment for a 75 year old will be assessed as much poorer value, as it has saved approx 10 years of that for that person.

It may seem harsh to look at treatments in this way, but it is already done by NICE to decide which drugs will be funded by the NHS.

Why isn't this information publicised by the media so we can have a well-informed debate about covid in a similar way? Reports I see are generally sensationalist headlines with no real context, science or analysis.

As a population we need a grown-up debate around this. Why is Covid so special? It should be subject to the same health economics as everything else the population faces.

Our civil liberties are worth fighting for. I want to be able to see my own family. There has been no scientific justification for any actions since August, let alone the overwhelming evidence which should be required before ignoring democracy.

I am extremely concerned, nut about the virus, but about the behaviour of a democratically elected government.

I think you would have to add the cost of mass recruitment of medical staff into the mix because people who have trained to save lives will quit if they are asked to wheel financially unviable gasping covid patients in to the snow this winter.

As a population we need a grown-up debate around this. Why is Covid so special? It should be subject to the same health economics as everything else the population faces.

Look at Brexit. Where's the debate on the economic impact? Where are the grown-ups? Where is the population with the ability to think critically?

As for Covid-19, it's a new virus. There's not enough data to make calculated decisions. And there are no treatments as such for it.

@FourTeaFallOut

I think you would have to add the cost of mass recruitment of medical staff into the mix because people who have trained to save lives will quit if they are asked to wheel financially unviable gasping covid patients in to the snow this winter.

You could hire just extra staff just to 'wheel out' and leave the medically trained personnel to care for the yet remaining... That's much more "cost-effective"

Sensible debate is a meaningless term, as it's so personal value driven. I don't think it's sensible to allow people to be killed off and anyway one it's agreed the boundaries would blue and be mismanaged. Also I'm not convinced people want those outcomes for their own families, you included.

I'm sure that beds are already being prioritised in this way in any case.

@Stopandlook

I don’t believe the OP was talking about withdrawal of treatment from Covid patients?

Agreed. The PP trying to start this argument is being deliberately obtuse.

Our civil liberties are worth fighting for. I want to be able to see my own family. So, surprisingly, does my DH. But he is one of those who is being told "just to shield and let the rest of us get on with our lives". And the more the rest of you just get on with your lives, and allow Covid to spread, "because after all it's not a threat to most people", the more dangerous the world becomes to those who are vulnerable.