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The cost of waiting and the death toll in Italy during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic

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  • Girardi, Alessandro
  • Ventura, Marco

Abstract

This paper documents how a prompter implementation of stricter policy measures in Italy would have reduced by about one-fourth of total COVID-19-related deaths during the first wave of the pandemic. The empirical evidence suggests that rigid but timely restrictions would have been a more effective policy tool than implementing progressively stricter measures over an extended period.

Suggested Citation

  • Girardi, Alessandro & Ventura, Marco, 2023. "The cost of waiting and the death toll in Italy during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:134:y:2023:i:c:s0168851023001446
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104859
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    Cited by:

    1. Ferro, Simone & Riganti, Andrea, 2024. "The hidden toll of the pandemic on nonrespiratory patients," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid-19; Lockdown; Synthetic control method;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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