"WASHINGTON — The contrast could hardly be more stark. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has said that if all of his sweeping, expensive measures to stem the coronavirus saved one life, it would be worth it. President Donald Trump has another view: The costs of shutting down the economy outweigh the benefits, frequently telling Americans that 35,000 people a year die from the common flu.
Though it may seem crass, the federal government actually has long made a calculation when imposing regulations, called “the value of a statistical life,” that places a price tag on a human life. It has been used to consider whether to require seat belts, airbags or environmental regulations, but it has never been applied in a broad public health context.
The question is now an urgent one given that Trump in recent days has latched on to the notion that the cure for the pandemic should not be worse than the disease and argued that “more people are going to die if we allow this to continue” if the economy remains closed. He has targeted a return to a semblance of normalcy for the economy by Easter Sunday, April 12."
Aamer Madhani, Laurie Kellman, and Kevin Freking report for the Associated Press March 27, 2020.
SEE ALSO:
"Internal Emails Show How Chaos at the CDC Slowed the Early Response to Coronavirus" (ProPublica)
"States Seek Help For COVID-19-Strained Hospitals" (CBS News)
"Trump Pins Coronavirus Hope On A Climate Skeptic" (ClimateWire)
"Trump Is Now Openly Trying to Censor His Critics. He May Succeed." (Slate)
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