Broad federally funded testing would generate enough GDP growth to offset cost.
A new UCLA/Harvard working paper finds that a broad, federally funded program to test asymptomatic Americans — every 4, 7, 14 or 30 days — would generate more than enough GDP growth to offset the cost.
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) November 25, 2020
(h/t @jeffbaileychgo @uclaanderson @nberpubs) https://t.co/eX0Tfk76Wb pic.twitter.com/BneqJAMOGc
This type of approach hasn't been getting enough attention.
An immense effort to simultaneously test nearly everyone in the US, to spot most of the asymptomatic/presymptomatic cases, repeated a few times. It won't catch everyone, but that's not the point, it could drive a huge reduction.
One weakness, though, is how many people can/would isolate properly after a positive result. Without universal sick leave, a lot of workers would continue going to work even while positive, limiting the effectiveness of this type of program.
There are a lot of month between now and the availability of vaccines for everyone who wants one. It's a shame we're not seriously talking about how to prevent deaths, illness and economic damage before then.