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
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: Suggested Citation