The data doesn't show that social distancing helps, so maybe re-opening the economy won't hurt
More of what you're not hearing about bringing the economy out of lockdown
Monday, May 4, 2020
We may have finally found the elusive factor that explains the US's horrible experience with Covid-2019.
Update to Strategic View
We continue to explore the correlates of Covid-2019 fatalities, already knowing that there is no relationship with the degree of economic lockdown. Population density, whether at the state or county level, does not explain fatalities. Neither does the share of population older than 60, nor general healthfulness. The strongest correlation is with millions of rapid transit miles traveled, a dimension in which hard-hit New York is a strong national leader. This suggests that re-opening the economy can proceed, but that the New York subways should be closed.