Assessing Targeted Containment Policies to Fight COVID-19

Arbeitspapier

The large economic costs of full-blown lockdowns in response to COVID-19 outbreaks, coupled with heterogeneous mortality rates across age groups, led to question non-discriminatory containment mea- sures. In this paper we provide an assessment of the targeted approach to containment. We propose a SIR-macro model that allows for heterogeneous agents in terms of mortality rates and contact rates, and in which the government optimally bans people from working. We find that under a targeted pol- icy, the optimal containment reaches a larger portion of the population than under a blanket policy and is held in place for longer. Compared to a blanket policy, a targeted approach results in a smaller death count. Yet, it is not a panacea: the recession is larger under such approach as the containment policy applies to a larger fraction of people, remains in place for longer, and herd immunity is achieved later. Moreover, we find that increased interactions between low- and high-risk individuals effectively reduce the benefits of a targeted approach to containment.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: GLO Discussion Paper ; No. 752

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; General Aggregative Models: General ; Public Economics: General ; Health: General
• Subject: Optimal containment policies ; COVID-19 ; heterogeneous agents ; mortality rate ; voluntary social distancing

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Checo, Ariadne ; Grigoli, Francesco ; Mota, Jose M.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Global Labor Organization (GLO)
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/228506
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET