That’s a good point, but I don’t think it changes the analysis much. All of the “additional” tools are already available (in some sense and to some degree) so those costs are effectively ‘sunk’. The tools or supplies that are necessary to save a life, but are unavailable, effectively ‘swallow’ the entire value of the lives they could save. This is definitely ‘marginal’ thinking (‘thinking on the margin’).
But your point is still true to an extent even in the case of ventilators – it’s not sufficient for someone to have produce a ventilator – somewhere. It also has to be delivered, installed, and then run – by certain specific people with the relevant training and credentials – and, in the medium and long terms, inspected and maintained. Even on the margin, all of those contribute to the value of any lives saved.
That’s a good point, but I don’t think it changes the analysis much. All of the “additional” tools are already available (in some sense and to some degree) so those costs are effectively ‘sunk’. The tools or supplies that are necessary to save a life, but are unavailable, effectively ‘swallow’ the entire value of the lives they could save. This is definitely ‘marginal’ thinking (‘thinking on the margin’).
But your point is still true to an extent even in the case of ventilators – it’s not sufficient for someone to have produce a ventilator – somewhere. It also has to be delivered, installed, and then run – by certain specific people with the relevant training and credentials – and, in the medium and long terms, inspected and maintained. Even on the margin, all of those contribute to the value of any lives saved.