by Paul R. Gregoryvia What Paul Gregory Is Writing About (Blog)
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Germany’s Der Spiegel has reported that Germany will issue “immunity certificates” to those testing positive for Coronavirus antibodies. Certificate holders, presumably free of the virus, can return to the work force and are not subject to social distancing. It turns out that this proposed program would apply to 100,000 subjects and the first results would not be available until the end of April. It is unclear whether the program has been approved.
In the 1949 film “The Third Man,” set in post-war Vienna, the Austrian capital is a bombed-out city where Orson Welles’ character, Harry Lime, makes a killing on the black market for medical supplies. Lime steals military stocks of penicillin, dilutes the antibiotic and sells it to unsuspecting patients who die from the watered-down drug.
The coronavirus crisis has already exacted a significant toll on our country, with lost lives and lost livelihoods. Our economy is basically shut down, with millions joining the ranks of the unemployed each week.
Using New Institutional Economics to examine the economic growth experience of Spain and Portugal in the 15th-16th century in order to establish the importance of institutions.
Currently 144 countries have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. They vary in size, income, culture, and governance. Each offers a real-world laboratory in the quest for the right program to deal with the pandemic.
