I don't know why you were downvoted. Frailty is an epidemic among the elderly. Once they lose muscle tone and mobility they tend to die quickly. It does little good to avoid virus infection if you end up breaking your hip because of muscle atrophy.
If there's a rigorous nationwide shutdown for 6 weeks, then the economy can partially open up again and people can go out more (people can still go outside now, as long as they stay away from people they don't live with - I know plenty of old people who are in self-imposed quarantine but still go on walks). This also requires the US to build up its testing and contact-tracing capabilities, so that it can keep the virus from getting out of control again.
Unfortunately, the short-sighted rush to reopen everything too quickly, or not to shut it down in the first place, is undermining these efforts. The shutdown worked in China, where it was strictly observed and enforced for several weeks. I hope the US can do the same.
