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

Abstract

This comprehensive study delves into the nuanced relationship between public healthinitiatives, particularly non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and their economicrepercussions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a dataset spanning fromFebruary 2020 to June 2021, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of theinterplay between democracy, Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) and economicoutcomes, with a particular focus on unemployment rates. The research findings indi-cate a nuanced interaction between democracy and the implementation of NPIs, sug-gesting that democratic contexts do not only enhance the NPI measures’ overallefficacy in curbing the pandemic but also preserve economic stability, particularly bymitigating the adverse effects on unemployment rates. Thus, nations with their robusteconomic reserves and democratic infrastructures, have effectively employed NPIs toprotect public health while mitigating economic downturns, aligning with the ‘Zero-COVID’ strategy. The study also presents a compelling argument that nations undereconomic strain can still benefit from NPIs, provided they operate within a democraticframework. This assertion is supported by evidence suggesting that democratic gov-ernance plays a pivotal role in the effective implementation of NPIs, facilitating bothhealth crisis management and economic stability