Coronavirus and the economic value of human life

The Covid-19 crisis has provided many grim examples of some familiar problems in health economics and cost-benefit analysis, and of the ‘tragic choices’ that …

Inflation: The next threat?

The policy reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic will increase budget deficits massively in all the world’s leading countries. The deficits will to a significant …

Model Behaviour: How economists can shape the post-lockdown word

The seminal work on epidemiological models was carried out in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The models have developed substantially since then, but …

The problem is not testing capacity but testing participation

This paper argues that testing participation – and not testing capacity – is the biggest obstacle to a successful “test and isolate” strategy, as …

Going Viral: The History and Economics of Pandemics

Pandemics are a recurring feature of human history. In the modern world, since the 1770s, we have had a series of pandemics, with a …

Responses to COVID-19 of governments in selected countries

The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious challenge for societies around the world. In response to it not only individuals are changing their behaviour, but …