The interaction between Covid-19 and an ageing society. 27/04/2020
"COVID-19 is the first pandemic to since the world's population consisted of more people aged over 65 than under five. Given that COVID-19 fatality rates rise sharply with age, that substantially affects the number of people at risk and the gains from social distancing. This column reveals that adjusting for change in the age structure and longevity of the US, the value of social distancing today is more than three times its corresponding 1920 value. Ageing societies and longer lives support considerably longer economic shutdowns compared to past pandemics. "
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