Coronavirus debate could be as divisive as Brexit, Maajid Nawaz argues

11 April 2020, 15:48

Maajid Nawaz compares coronavirus debate to Brexit

With people arguing over whether flattening the curve or herd immunity are better ways to go about coronavirus treatment, Maajid compared the factions to remain and leave during Brexit.

Maajid had access to conservative figures indicating that "150,000 will die from the flattening the curve strategy from economic reasons" mainly due to an economic downturn when lockdown is lifted.

He pointed out that these figures are more than those predicted to die from coronavirus and comes against the argument that you can't allow herd immunity to happen as there will be too many deaths from Covid-19.

"If we don't shorten the curve, more will die from measures related to the economy" but if we do shorten the curve, there will be a spike in deaths and will overwhelm health services.

"These are the two schools of thought" Maajid said. This was to him a "fact vs feeling" debate and using the conflicting debates and how they are separating people, he compared the debate to the Brexit debate.

"I bet the whole debate is irrelevant now" he joked. Maajid continued to push the comparison between Brexit and coronavirus debates and saw the similarity between people during Brexit and debates now between lockdown and herd immunity strategies.

"There were people arguing with facts and people arguing with feelings" Maajid pointed out. He claimed to see the same pattern emerging in the coronavirus debate.

"What I worry about is that is the coronavirus debate becoming the same- facts versus feelings" he said, predicting the conversation to change in the weeks to come.