A 2007 report from the Centers of Disease Control highlighted serious consequences if a lockdown was implemented.
The report included the results of a survey conducted by Harvard University to determine the willingness of adults to agree to community mitigation in the event of a
pandemic, and the expected consequences.
Almost 75% reported that they would be willing to âcurtail various activitiesâ of daily life for a month. Over 94% said they would stay at home and away from other people for 7-10 days if they had the flu. They were not asked about longer periods ofconfinement.
When asked about financial difficulties associated with missed work, 74% reported that they could miss 7-10 days of work without financial problems, but 25% said even this amount of time would cause a problem. Most, or 57%, reported that they would experience severe financial hardship if they missed work for one month, and 76% thought that three months away from work would be financially disastrous.
Source: 4. Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for
Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States â Early, Targeted,
Layered Use of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions. Canters for Disease
Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-
resources/pdf/community_mitigation-sm.pdf