Did Lockdown Work? An Economist’s Cross-Country Comparison

12 Pages Posted: 6 Aug 2020

See all articles by Christian Bjørnskov

Christian Bjørnskov

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business; Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN); Center for Political Studies; Institute for Corruption Studies

Date Written: August 2, 2020

Abstract

I explore the association between the severity of lockdown policies in the first half of 2020 and mortality rates. Using two indices from the Blavatnik Centre’s Covid 19 policy measures and comparing weekly mortality rates from 24 European countries in the first halves of 2017-2020, and addressing policy endogeneity in two different ways, I find no clear association between lockdown policies and mortality development.

Keywords: Epidemic, Covid 19, policy responses

Suggested Citation

Bjørnskov, Christian, Did Lockdown Work? An Economist’s Cross-Country Comparison (August 2, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3665588 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3665588

Christian Bjørnskov (Contact Author)

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business ( email )

Fuglesangs Allé 4
Aarhus V, DK-8210
Denmark

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) ( email )

Box 55665
Grevgatan 34, 2nd floor
Stockholm, SE-102 15
Sweden

Center for Political Studies

Landgreven 3
Copenhagen K, DK-1301
Denmark

Institute for Corruption Studies

Stevenson Hall 425
Normal, IL 61790-4200
United States

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