What Works to Control COVID-19? Econometric Analysis of a Cross-Country Panel

Publication | December 2020
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This paper uses cross-country panel data to examine the effects of interventions such as lockdowns, gathering bans, and testing and tracing on transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The paper finds that while lockdown measures have strong effects on the transmission rate, gathering bans appear to be more effective than workplace and school closures. Ramping up testing and tracing is found to be especially effective in controlling the spread of the disease in economies with greater coverage of paid sick leave benefits. The findings suggest that a targeted approach can be taken to keep the epidemic controlled at lower economic cost.

Contents

  • Introduction
  • COVID-19 Control: Evidence from Cross-Country Regression Analysis
  • Data
  • Empirical Framework
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion

Additional Details

Authors
Type
Series
Subjects
  • Economics
  • Health
  • Emerging diseases
  • COVID-19
Pages
  • 42
Dimensions
  • 8.5 x 11
SKU
  • WPS200354-2
ISSN
  • 2313-5867 (print)
  • 2313-5875 (electronic)

Published Versions

Chen, Liming, Rana Hasan, Rouselle Lavado, David Raitzer, and Orlee Velarde. 2021. "What Works to Control COVID-19? Econometric Analysis of a Cross-Country Panel." Covid Economics 63: 35–72. https://cepr.org/node/390690.

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