Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints continues to show its versatility and can even be applied as a tool to understand Covid-19 and the current global public health quagmire.

What is the Goal?

Early on experts stated clearly that humanity cannot control viruses. The goal then became to ‘flatten’ the curve, but curves are difficult to measure and ‘flatten’ is an imprecise term. Historically ‘herd immunity’ is a target for any disease, however inoculation is to occur. During covid-19, health officials changed the definition of herd immunity to remove those for whom it had occurred through natural exposure.

Measurement

As written earlier – there is no clear standard for what a ‘case’ is globally. As covid-19 drew out, standards were changed in how the dominant test, polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”) was configured to detect the disease, and what a ‘detection’ was. This analysis assumes positive intent by mass media, which is not always the case.

If case is not clearly addressed, then there are further problems if there is coincidence, or co-morbidity risk with other disease states. As of March 2021, obesity is a co-morbidity on +80% of the deaths in the US. Is this a disease of obesity or an infectious disease brought on by virus? If obesity is a driver – then why have so many strategies put public health and wellness as a low priority?

Conflicting Strategies

Some of the strategies are deliberately conflicting. Flatten the curve is not a personal strategy – it forces the same strategy on those around you. Not prioritizing those that are most at risk forces everyone to move at the speed of the most at risk in rebuilding a functioning society. In the US the strategy has led to a forced compliance that is unlikely to be optimal based on results, and seems as if it was designed to maximize cultural division.