HEALTH VERSUS THE ECONOMY OR BOTH ? by Marta

 

No sign of a health-economy trade-off, quite the opposite

Have the countries experiencing the largest economic decline performed better in protecting the nation’s health, as we would expect if there was a trade-off?

The chart here shows the same GDP data along the horizontal axis. Along the vertical axis is the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths per million people.

Contrary to the idea of a trade-off, we see that countries which suffered the most severe economic downturns – like Peru, Spain and the UK – are generally among the countries with the highest COVID-19 death rate.

And the reverse is also true: countries where the economic impact has been modest – like Taiwan, South Korea, and Lithuania – have also managed to keep the death rate low.

Notice too that countries with similar falls in GDP have witnessed very different death rates. For instance, compare the US and Sweden with Denmark and Poland. All four countries saw economic contractions of around 8 to 9 percent, but the death rates are markedly different: the US and Sweden have recorded 5 to 10 times more deaths per million.

Clearly, many factors have affected the COVID-19 death rate and the shock to the economy beyond the policy decisions made by each government about how to control the spread of the virus. And the full impacts of the pandemic are yet to be seen.

But among countries with available GDP data, we do not see any evidence of a trade-off between protecting people’s health and protecting the economy. Rather the relationship we see between the health and economic impacts of the pandemic goes in the opposite direction. As well as saving lives, countries controlling the outbreak effectively may have adopted the best economic strategy too.

Economic decline in the second quarter of 2020 vs rate of confirmed
deaths due to COVID-19

The vertical axis shows the number of COVID-19 deaths per million, as of August 30. The horizontal axis shows the
percentage decline of GDP relative to the same quarter in 2019. It is adjusted for inflation.

•   Hide countries < 1 million people

CC BY

Source: European CDC, Eurostat, OECD and individual national statistics agencies

Note: Limited testing and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death means that the number of confirmed deaths may not be an
accurate count of the true number of deaths from COVID-19. Data for China is not shown given the earlier timing of its economic
downturn. The country saw positive growth of 3.2% in Q2 preceded by a fall of 6.8% in Q1.

• CHART
• TABLE
• SOURCES
•  DOWNLOAD

Related: Which countries have protected both health and the economy in the pandemic?

Endnotes

 Living in times of uncertainty 

Living in times of uncertainty has posed a challenge to humans ever since the world came into being 

Here s a lesson that the plant world has to teach us . 

WHAT KELP HAS TO TEACH US TO THRIVE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY 

FLEXIBILITY 

CLAIRE FACKLER/NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

Strength in flexibility.

• 

By Katherine Ellen Foley

Health and science reporter

November 4, 2020

On days when it feels that the uncertainty is too much to bear, we’d be wise to take notes from a humble, giant algae: kelp.

We land-dwellers rarely think about kelp, but we’ve got quite a lot in common with this ocean friend. For one thing, neither of us are plants; kelp is actually a type of algae called a heterokont. Our lives also share similar beginnings and ends: We both create offspring via sexual reproduction, and eventually, our cells age and die.

These similarities should inspire us to know that we, too, can be like kelp in perhaps its most remarkable feat: It stays firmly rooted amid tumultuous forces beyond its control, and in doing so, inadvertently creates a nurturing environment for others.

Kelp is somewhat constrained in where it can live; because it is algae, it must stick to shallow salt water where it can absorb the suns’ rays. Unfortunately, though, these shallows experience incredibly turbulent waters—too rough for most organisms to handle. These forces would rip humans apart, says Sean Grace, a marine ecologist at Southern Connecticut State University.

Although kelp might be happier in a calmer environment, it continues to thrive. It does so by being both steadfast and flexible. At the bottom of kelp stocks are appendages called holdfasts, which live up to their names, Grace says. Holdfasts fuse themselves to rocks, and become unflappably grounded.

US NATIONAL PARK CENTER

Reaching upward.

Holdfasts allow the parts of kelp that stretch up to the sky, called stripes and blades, to bend to the water’s will. This flexibility is what allows them to survive, instead of getting whisked away and torn to shreds. Even while it accommodates unforeseen pushes and pulls, kelp never stops reaching for the suns’ rays.

But here’s more: As kelp sustains itself by absorbing sunlight, water, and literal tons of carbon dioxide (cleaning up much of our dirty work, I might add), its stability creates a habitat for all kinds of marine life. It does so physically, by providing a reliable hideout for fish, crustaceans, and mammals; and biologically, by providing these creatures with the nutrition they need to thrive.

“If you look all around the world to wherever there are kelp forests, you find higher biodiversity, which is a signal of health,” Grace says. The more kelp, the more other kinds of life thrive.

We didn’t ask to live through the pushes and pulls of 2020, nor did kelp ask to live through the ebbs and flows of the tides. Yet kelp survives, and help others thrive, as should we. Although we don’t have holdfasts, we do have family and loved ones to keep us grounded. We have foundational values that allow us to keep sight of our goals, even while being pulled in undesirable directions. And we can make room for others along the way, too.

Perhaps when Confucius referenced the strength of the humble green reed compared to the stiff oak, he really meant to say “kelp.”

📬

I VOTED

 

Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference?

As if the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t already challenging enough, the US will be holding a general election in the midst of it. Many people are rightfully concerned that traditional, in-person voting could spread COVID-19, and so some states are changing (or considering changing) their voting rules to make it easier for eligible people to vote by mail.

Voting by mail can be done by what’s called an absentee ballot or mail-in ballot. But there is a lot of confusion—and misinformation—around these methods, which vary widely state by state. What’s more, some people use these terms interchangeably, others mean different things by them, and yet others employ different words altogether.

Yes, it’s complicated. But we’ve got a primer for you on absentee ballots vs. mail-in ballots. And please note: use the information in this article for your general information, but consult your local election officials for when and how you may vote. To get started, visit usa.gov and vote.gov.

What is an absentee ballot?

Let’s start with some election basics. Normally, most US voters cast their ballots in person in a polling booth at a polling place/station based on where they are registered to vote. A ballot is the physical form (or electronic voting machine equivalent) that a voter fills out; it lists the candidates, issues, and so on that a person votes on.

An absentee ballot is a ballot used to cast an absentee vote, which is submitted, usually by mail, by an absentee. Absentee, here, refers to a person who can’t physically be present at a voting center on Election Day. Absentee voting in America goes back to the Civil War era, and every state allows this kind of voting in some form—and federal law, in fact, requires ballots be sent to military and overseas voters for federal elections.

To get an absentee ballot, a registered voter must request one through their state government, which accepts or rejects the application. When someone is approved to vote absentee, election officials mail the voter an absentee ballot, which they complete and sign, and return by mail or, under certain circumstances, fax. Officials can reject absentee ballots if they are improperly filled out, and voters face steep penalties if they falsify any information.

All states, again, send absentee ballots to military and overseas voters who request them. In 16 states*, an absentee ballot is the only form of voting through the mail that is allowed by law, and the voter is required to give a reason why they can’t go to a voting location on Election Day. Exact rules vary, but qualifying reasons may include the following:

• Being out of the county where they are registered to vote
• Being a student living outside of the county
• Having an illness or disability
• Working or being on jury duty during voting hours
• Serving as an election worker or poll watcher
• Having religious beliefs or practices that prevent them from going to a voting center
• Being in prison but still able to vote

*Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia

WATCH: How Do You Pronounce The Word "Candidate"?

Why do some people say candi-dates and others say candi-dits? Well, we have an answer ...

What is a no-excuse absentee ballot?

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia** use what’s sometimes called a no-excuse absentee ballot. This is similar to the strict absentee ballot previously noted in the 16 states above, but a registered voter doesn’t have to give a reason (excuse) why they can’t be at their polling location on Election Day. However, the states themselves may simply call this ballot an absentee ballot.

The lexical wrinkles don’t stop there! Some of these states (e.g., Pennsylvania) may refer to the no-excuse absentee ballot as a mail-in ballot.

**Alaska, Arizona, California, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

So, what is a mail-in ballot?

Five states—Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii—already conduct their elections through a mail-in process that’s often referred to as all-mail voting. Registered voters in these states automatically receive a mail ballot, which is sent to their address before Election Day and mailed back by the voter or deposited at a voting location or secure dropbox by a certain time on Election Day.

In these states, the term absentee ballot can specifically refer to