Bending Nature: Summary

Evidence from 150 Countries Suggests the Virus Flattened Us

Did we flatten the pandemic curve by shutting down most of the world?

Many political leaders are claiming such a victory and others are looking to open their economies again in response.

This article examines the evidence for a link between health policy actions (closing schools and workplaces, cancelling public events, restricting travel) and subsequent coronavirus deaths.

It compares this policy response over time for 150 countries on a daily basis since the start of 2020.

What do we find when comparing such policy responses to the contagion curves across the world?

· Most governments did too little at first,

· Most governments were slow to respond,

· Most governments took too long to act,

· Most governments got really serious only after the peak in contagion,

· Delay cost deaths, and

· The policy effect on flattening the curve is still unknown — it is too soon to know.

The full paper, along with the evidence, is found here.