Yes, the COVID-19 panic does call for drastic measures

As an old saying goes, it's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end.

The world's politicians are innovating on the fly (pun intended) by trying to combine the fall – the COVID-19 epidemic – with the sudden stop, bringing life and commerce to a halt through draconian travel restrictions, business closures, etc.

We don't yet know what the COVID-19 death toll is going to b...