Effectiveness of Government Policies in Response to the first COVID-19 Outbreak

Dergiades T, Milas C, Mossialos E, Panagiotidis T (2022). Effectiveness of government policies in response to the first COVID-19 outbreak. PLOS Global Public Health 2(4): e0000242. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000242

29 Pages Posted: 19 May 2020 Last revised: 22 Apr 2022

See all articles by Theologos Dergiades

Theologos Dergiades

University of Macedonia - Department of International and European Studies

Costas Milas

University of Liverpool

Elias Mossialos

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Department of Health Policy

Theodore Panagiotidis

University of Macedonia - Department of Economics

Date Written: May 15, 2020

Abstract

This paper assesses the quantitative impact of government interventions on deaths related to
the first COVID-19 outbreak. Using daily data for 32 countries and relying on the stringency
of the conducted policies, we find that the greater the strength of government interventions at
an early stage, the more effective these are in slowing down or reversing the growth rate of
deaths. School closures have a significant impact on reducing the growth rate of deaths, which
is less powerful compared to the case where a number of policy interventions are combined
together. These results can be informative for governments in responding to future pandemics.

Keywords: COVID-19, OxCGRT index, Effectiveness of Government Responses, Excess Mortality

JEL Classification: C1; C5; I1

Suggested Citation

Dergiades, Theologos and Milas, Costas and Mossialos, Elias and Panagiotidis, Theodore, Effectiveness of Government Policies in Response to the first COVID-19 Outbreak (May 15, 2020). Dergiades T, Milas C, Mossialos E, Panagiotidis T (2022). Effectiveness of government policies in response to the first COVID-19 outbreak. PLOS Global Public Health 2(4): e0000242. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000242, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3602004 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3602004

Theologos Dergiades

University of Macedonia - Department of International and European Studies ( email )

Egnatia str. 156
Thessaloniki, 54636
Greece

Costas Milas

University of Liverpool ( email )

Chatham Street
Brownlow Hill
Liverpool
United Kingdom

Elias Mossialos

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Department of Health Policy

United Kingdom

Theodore Panagiotidis (Contact Author)

University of Macedonia - Department of Economics ( email )

Thessaloniki, 54006
Greece

HOME PAGE: http://users.uom.gr/~tpanag/

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