Economic benefits of investing in health measures going forward

In this article Larry H. Summers, ex-US treasury secretary (1999-2001) and head of the National Economic Council for President Barack Obama (2009 to 2011) claims as a priority to invest in health measures (massive tests, contact tracers, masks ...) to accelerate a safe reopening of the economy.

• According to him, the desire to reopen the economy is based more on hopes than on facts and it is not part of a strategy going forward. Relaxation of the lockdown without investments in health measures will bring “a resurgent pandemic, dramatically lowered economic activity, or both simultaneously”
• Finally, he demonstrates that the cost of investing in health measures is small compare to current fiscal expenses needed to face covid-19 crisis and to the potential losses incurred if reopening is not safe.