There are any number of steps governments can take to mitigate the negative effects of a lockdown, no matter how strict.

In the US, we had a lax lockdown without most of those steps being taken. We got the worst of both having a lockdown, and not enough people following it, leading to more spread, and no aid and help to mitigate the negatives.

Imagine where the lockdown was as strict or stricter in the beginning, but no one made mask wearing a partisan issue, and we had Federal resources dedicated to increasing mask production very early, and to also have a massive contact tracing operation.

That's what several East Asian nations did, to very great success.