HealthDay Reports: Benefits of Social Distancing Outweigh Economic Toll: Study
New research published in the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis showed that the lifesaving benefits of following social distancing measures far outweigh the projected harm to the economy of the United States.
Benefits of Social Distancing Outweigh Economic Toll: Study
MONDAY, April 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The lifesaving benefits of strict social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic far outweigh their projected harm to the U.S. economy, a new report claims.
"Our benefit-cost analysis shows that the extensive social distancing measures being adopted in the U.S. likely do not constitute an overreaction," said lead author Linda Thunstrom, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
"Social distancing saves lives but comes at large costs to society due to reduced economic activity," she said in a university news release. "Still, based on our benchmark assumptions, the economic benefits of lives saved substantially outweigh the value of the projected losses to the U.S. economy."