A phrase like "acceptable deaths" makes it seem like more could have been done to prevent some deaths. If/When someone I know dies of this, I'd like to know everything possible was done to have prevented it. Our current situation is temporary. Everyone needs to realize it. Saying life is currently not worth living is shortsighted. Things will loosen up eventually and possibly return to some semblance of normal. People need to be more patient.
That's understandable, but preventing deaths comes down to:
1. Drawing out the spread long enough to ensure hospitals don't get overwhelmed. In Iowa this is happening. There is capacity for people to get all the care they need in a hospital. Sadly for some that is not enough.
2. Keeping the general public from being exposed to the virus. Simply not feasible. This was never the goal. Social distancing, SIP, masks etc. are simply to accomplish goal #1.
3. Keeping spread for at-risk people. This requires long-term care facilities and the people/families themselves to be on really tight lockdown. They still have to have workers, doctors, deliveries, etc. to these facilities, so these types of concentrated outbreaks are going to happen from time to time no matter how well these facilities lock things down. I'm sure there are plenty these places could have done better or sooner, but I don't have any specific knowledge.
Sorry, but there are things we all do in everyday life that is based on "acceptable" number of deaths. If the speed limit on every road was 25 mph, lives would be saved. If added sugar, transfats and alcohol were outlawed lives would be saved.
So, are the steps being taken to slow the spread doing "everything possible?" Of course not. Nor do we do everything possible in many facets of daily lives when we KNOW doing those things would save lives.
What we are doing in Iowa and almost every state is slowing the spread to make sure we have ICU and vent capacity.