COVID-Zero: Was It Worth It? – Quillette
https://quillette.com/2021/08/09/covid-zero-was-it-worth-it/

"Sober, conservative analysis suggests that COVID-Zero costs hundreds of Australian lives each month."

"If COVID-19 was your ancestor’s saber-tooth tiger, then the lives lost every day to COVID-Zero is the cost of running away. The obvious difference is that your ancestor got away from the saber-tooth tiger. When we eventually reopen, COVID-19 will catch us."