One Covid Chart to Rule Them All

Which Western country - and what strategy - worked best? (Spoiler alert: S----n. And h--d i------y.)

Bloomberg recently published a fascinating chart showing how different countries handled the first two years of Covid.

Like most great data visualizations, it is simple and easy to understand once it’s explained. It focuses on OUTCOME, not process.

In other words, it doesn’t concern itself with how many vaccinations given or how many tests conducted or other numbers that matter mostly to the health bureaucrats who pay themselves to carry them out.

Instead it plots two variables: the number of Covid deaths, and Covid’s economic impact – as measured by how much economic growth fell short of forecasts in 2020 and 2021.

The chart is set up so that top left is better and bottom right is worse. Countries in the top left had few Covid deaths and relatively strong growth; those in the top right had lots of deaths and strong growth; those in the bottom left had few deaths but deep recessions; and those in the bottom right had lots of deaths AND deep economic pain.

Okay, here’s the chart:

The relative success of Asian and Pacific Rim countries jumps out first. For reasons that remain unclear, Asian countries reported far fewer Covid deaths than any others. Why? The answer doesn’t appear to be obviously demographic – whether they were young or old, rich or poor, they had fewer deaths.

Could the reason be cross-immunity? Some hidden genetic strength? (Asian-Americans have also had far lower death rates than other Americans, though higher rates than Asian nations.) Thinness? Some other factor?

The truth is we don’t know yet.

Read the Whole Article