It is a trade off between collapsing the economy or swamping the NHS
That is a false dichotomy.
The definition of dichotomy is a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
There is a sense implied that lockdown and harm to the economy are unrelated.
One directly impacts the other. In that sense they are directly related.
The only way to avoid swamping the NHS is by lockdown, this automatically contracts the economy.
Testing is much vaunted by the media hacks and Labour but is its importance overplayed? It gives a status at a particular moment in time.
It can distinguish between those infected, not infected, have been infected with a questionable degree of precision. The only truly accurate figures are for rates of hospitalisation. The only reasonably accurate data for planning purposes is the daily infection rate, but how much is based on testing and how much on hospitalisation? One set of experts are doom merchants, others call for easing up on segregation. I suspect Dominic Cummins can serve a vital role sorting through the chaf and determining a coherant way forward.