Public health and economic outcomes tradeoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic: political perspectives

Abstract

This comprehensive study delves into the nuanced relationship between public health initiatives, particularly non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and their economic repercussions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a dataset spanning from February 2020 to June 2021, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between democracy, Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) and economic outcomes, with a particular focus on unemployment rates. The research findings indicate a nuanced interaction between democracy and the implementation of NPIs, suggesting that democratic contexts do not only enhance the NPI measures’ overall efficacy in curbing the pandemic but also preserve economic stability, particularly by mitigating the adverse effects on unemployment rates. Thus, nations with their robust economic reserves and democratic infrastructures, have effectively employed NPIs to protect public health while mitigating economic downturns, aligning with the ‘Zero-COVID’ strategy. The study also presents a compelling argument that nations under economic strain can still benefit from NPIs, provided they operate within a democratic framework. This assertion is supported by evidence suggesting that democratic governance plays a pivotal role in the effective implementation of NPIs, facilitating both health crisis management and economic stability.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• democracy
• public health policy
• unemployment
• nonpharmaceutical interventions
• Economics