The nationwide lockdowns we suffered through in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic were enacted in an attempt to reduce mortality and get a grip on the pandemic. Those who claimed such harsh measures were ineffective were written off as conspiracy theorists, or worse.

Nearly two years later, a Johns Hopkins study revealed that the lockdowns and restrictions were not, in fact, useful or helpful, and actually harmed us as a country in irreparable ways, Fox News reports. 

Not only did the lockdowns exacerbate a growing mental health crisis, but they also contributed to “devastating” effects on the U.S. economy, schooling, an increase in domestic violence, an increase in drug overdose deaths, and many other negative effects that could have far worse consequences than the very small number of lives such measures might have saved.

But even mortality rates might not have been affected much, as one of the study’s authors wrote, “We find no evidence that lockdowns, school closures, border closures and limiting gatherings have had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality.”

“No evidence”

The study’s authors didn’t pull any punches in its findings, in which they essentially concluded that the lockdown measures were nothing less than a total disaster.

“Our study shows the benefits [of lockdowns] — in terms of fewer deaths — are questionable and small,” said Jonas Herby, one of the reports’ authors and a special advisor at the Center for Political Studies in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“They have contributed to reducing economic activity, raising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence and undermining liberal democracy,” the authors of the report added.

Now, the country — and other countries that instituted similar measures — will have to deal with the unintended consequences of the extreme lockdown and restriction measures made early on in the pandemic.

“There are long-term health impacts of the measures used to slow down the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, chair of the public health committee for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

White House spin

When pressed on the subject of lockdowns, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki attempted to place the blame for them on former President Donald Trump.

“Most of the lockdowns actually happened under the previous president. What our objective has been is to convey we have the tools we need to keep our country open,” she said, failing to note that while they might have happened under Trump, the lockdowns were issued through state and local governments, and the harshest of them were predominately in Democrat-led cities and states.

Only time will reveal what the true cost of the lockdowns will be, but the consequences are already mounting, and will likely continue to worsen.