The first 100 days of COVID-19 coronavirus – How efficient did country health systems perform to flatten the curve in the first wave?

Marthinus Breitenbach, Victor Ngobeni and Goodness Ayte

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: In this novel paper, we make use of a non-parametric method known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to analyse the 31 most infected countries during the first 100 days since the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus for the efficiency in containing the spread of the virus – a question yet to be answered in the literature. Our model showed 12 of the 31 countries in our sample were efficient and 19 inefficient in the use of resources to manage the flattening of their COVID-19 contagion curves. Among the worst performers were some of the richest countries in the world, Germany, Canada, the USA and Austria, with efficiency between 50 and 60 per cent - more inefficient than Italy, France and Belgium, who were some of those hardest hit by the spread of the virus.

Keywords: Pandemic; COVID-19; Flattening the Curve; Data Envelopment Analysis; Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions; Healthcare; Technical Efficiency; Healthcare system efficiency barometer. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C61 D24 I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-05-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/101440/1/MPRA_paper_8872.pdf revised version (application/pdf)

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