Working Paper: NBER ID: w27220
Authors: David O. Argente; Changtai Hsieh; Munseob Lee
Abstract: South Korea publicly disclosed detailed location information of individuals that tested positive for COVID-19. We quantify the effect of public disclosure on the transmission of the virus and economic losses in Seoul. The change in commuting patterns due to public disclosure lowers the number of cases by 200 thousand and the number of deaths by 7.7 thousand in Seoul over two years. Compared to a city-wide lock-down that results in the same number of cases over two years as the disclosure scenario, the economic cost of such a lockdown is almost four times higher.
Keywords: COVID-19; Public Disclosure; Economic Impact; South Korea
JEL Codes: E00; I00
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Public disclosure (G38) | Reduction in COVID-19 cases (I14) |
| Public disclosure (G38) | Changes in commuting patterns (R41) |
| Changes in commuting patterns (R41) | Reduction in COVID-19 cases (I14) |
| Public disclosure (G38) | Reduction in deaths (I14) |
| Public disclosure (G38) | Economic costs of lockdown (F69) |