Healthcare & Policy News

Americans are extraordinarily generous, especially during times of crisis. One of the best ways government can tackle the coronavirus crisis is to let Americans give more of their own money directly to charities. This capitalizes on the fact that humanitarianism is going local to be more effective. Travel restrictions and shutdowns worldwide are creating secondary…

Policymakers need to scrutinize their epidemiological models. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has been heavily influenced by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation’s computer model, which has projected from 60,000 to 240,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.  This epidemiological model is now being criticized as flawed and misleading as a…

When the nongovernmental National Coronavirus Recovery Commission was first formed in early April, commissioners requested that citizens submit comments and ideas to help it formulate recommendations that governments, businesses, and civil society could use to combat both the health and economic effects of COVID-19. Those comments have provided some critical insights into how Americans feel about America’s…

The world was a dangerous place before—and will be after—the coronavirus pandemic. While Americans debate the proper ongoing response to the virus and argue over the infection’s origins, nature, and trajectory, they may have tuned out other, often just as scary, news. Many Americans are irate at China for its dishonest and lethal suppression of…

Earth Day turns 50 this year, but don’t expect to see any large gatherings. The coronavirus pandemic has turned the 2020 celebration into a virtual one. According to some observers, though, that’s a good thing. One silver lining of COVID-19, they point out, is a healthier environment. Without a doubt, quarantining is yielding environmental improvements….

Public health officials advising governments here and abroad on the COVID-19 pandemic so far have offered shifting and tentative guidance on when and how to unwind the practice of social distancing. Asked recently when the U.S. could return to normal, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, suggested…

A debate is forming about the U.S. response to COVID-19 and it’s worthwhile to consider this debate early, as it develops, before battle lines harden. On one side is the school of thought that shutdowns, lockdowns and closing of “nonessential” businesses either came too late to help or were an overreaction to inaccurate computer models…

Across the country, governments are preparing to reopen society and the economy after the initial wave of coronavirus cases subsides. Regions, states, and localities are crafting plans based on scientific data to loosen public health restrictions and get Americans out of their homes and on the move again.  Although New York has been an unfortunate…

One of the first lessons in an economics class is everything has a cost. That’s in stark contrast to lessons in the political arena where politicians talk about free stuff. In our personal lives, decision-making involves weighing costs against benefits. Businessmen make the same calculation if they want to stay in business. It’s an entirely…

In stark contrast to most other developed countries dealing with the coronavirus, Sweden has adopted what are perhaps the least restrictive “social distancing” rules in the world, permitting most economic activity to continue in the face of the pandemic. The ongoing Swedish policy experiment of so-called “herd immunity” is quite unique. Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief…

Americans are understandably upset. Businesses are closed, and people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake. It makes sense that people would demand the government take action against those responsible for the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic once we’ve made it through. Here’s how—and how not—to hold China accountable for the new coronavirus. >>> When can…

As the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, questions about its origins inevitably arose. Yes, the virus came out of China, with the earliest analyses suggesting that it emerged from a “wet market” in Wuhan. But new theories are now making the rounds: Some claim that the virus may have escaped from a Chinese bioweapons laboratory;…

International civil servants are not immune from the coronavirus. Nor are they above exploiting the crisis for their own gain. Case in point: the statement issued by G-20 heads of state after their virtual meeting at the end of March. G-20 leaders wanted to reassure the world that they are coordinating their countries’ responses to…