Controversy persists about the infection fatality rate of COVID-19, and whether it is closer to 1% or to 0.1% – a difference in deaths of an order of magnitude [13,14]. That debate often transforms itself into respective calls for indefinite maintenance or early lifting of lockdowns. An undisputable principle, however, is that the benefit from any such measures must clearly outweigh their harms to public health. It is therefore reasonable to move away from full lockdowns and calibrate social distancing down to a sustainable optimal level – one that minimises both the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 but also the negative effects of distancing. This balance point will be continuously revised as we accumulate more scientific knowledge about COVID-19, the effectiveness of control measures and their wider impact on population health. In any case, the rational goal is not to prevent each and every SARS-CoV-2 infection at any cost, but rather to protect and maximise public health for everybody.