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The Fatality Rate of COVID-19: How Does Education, Health Infrastructure and Institutional Quality Make a Change?

Author

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  • Chor Foon Tang

    (Chor Foon Tang (corresponding author) is at the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia.)

  • Ali Fakih

    (Ali Fakih is at the Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Beirut, P.O. Box: 13–5053, Lebanon. E-mail: afakih@lau.edu.lb)

  • Salah Abosedra

    (Salah Abosedra is at the Department of Accounting and Finance, American University in the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. E-mail: salaheddin.abosedra@aue.ae)

Abstract

This article provides new empirical evidence on the impact of institutional quality in affecting female fatality rates resulting from COVID-19 by grounding our analysis on the marginal effects on other explanatory variables. This strain of research is not well examined in existing literature. We identify the main determinants of these rates and empirically estimate several models using cross-country data for 2020 for 57 countries. Our results show that not allowing for such marginal effects seems to produce imprecise results whereby institutional quality returns to be insignificant in explaining the fatality rates from COVID-19 and thus may have resulted in inappropriate policy recommendations from previous studies. Our results extend recent findings on the role of institutional quality in reducing female fatality rates and imply that benefits expected from improvements in institutional quality are worthy of consideration and implementation. The article offers some recommendations based on the reported results. JEL Codes: C36, I15, I18

Suggested Citation

  • Chor Foon Tang & Ali Fakih & Salah Abosedra, 2022. "The Fatality Rate of COVID-19: How Does Education, Health Infrastructure and Institutional Quality Make a Change?," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 16(2), pages 166-182, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:mareco:v:16:y:2022:i:2:p:166-182
    DOI: 10.1177/09738010221074597
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19 Fatality; Female; Education; Institutions; Health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C36 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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