States of Covid Performance – WSJ

The top 10 in the rankings are smaller states with the notable exception of Florida, which ranks sixth. Recall how the Sunshine State s decision to open itself relatively soon after the first lockdowns was derided as cruel and destructive. Gov. Ron DeSantis was called Governor DeathSentence.

The study ranks Florida 28th in mortality, in the middle off the pack and about the same as California, which ranks 27th despite its far more stringent lockdowns and school closures. But Florida ranks third for the least education loss and 13th in economic performance. California ranks 47th overall because its shutdowns crushed the economy (40th) and in-person school (50th).

In other words, Florida did about average on mortality as other states, but it did far better in protecting its citizens from severe economic harm and its children from lost schooling. The correlation between health and economy scores is essentially zero, say the authors, which suggests that states that withdrew the most from economic activity did not significantly improve health by doing so.

The NBER working paper presents the data straight without policy conclusions, but here s one of ours: The severe lockdown states suffered much more on overall social well-being in return for relatively little comparative benefit on health.

via www.wsj.com