Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Coronavirus dashboard for April 4: with lockdowns in place, testing still far behind, no action on necessary “test, track, quarantine” plan

Coronavirus dashboard for April 4: with lockdowns in place, testing still far behind, no action on necessary “test, track, quarantine” plan  – by New Deal democrat Here is the update through yesterday (April 3) I’ve changed the format, moving the “just the facts, ma’am” data to the top, and comments at the end. The four […]

Coronavirus dashboard for April 2: nationwide lockdown nearly complete, but the surge in testing has completely stalled

Coronavirus dashboard for April 2: nationwide lockdown nearly complete, but the surge in testing has completely stalled  – by New Deal democrat Here is the update through yesterday (April 1) Close to 90% of the US population is now under lockdown, and it appears to be lowering the rate of exponential growth of new infections. […]

Coronavirus dashboard for April 1

Coronavirus dashboard for April 1 by New Deal democrat Here is the update through yesterday (March 31) Over 75% of the US population is now under lockdown, and it appears to be lowering the rate of exponential growth of new infections. Based on South Korea’s experience, a ratio of 15:1 in total tests to results […]

“Wow, that’s something,”

A presidential comment on New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham concerns: Grisham: “We’re seeing incredible spikes in the Navajo Nation, and this is going to be an issue where we’re going to have to figure that out and think about maybe testing and surveillance opportunities, The rate of infection, at least on the New Mexico side […]

Mass testing for Covid-19: economics, politics, and policy options

The Covid-19 epidemic is creating a painful dilemma for policymakers.  On the one hand, we need to practice social distancing to keep people healthy and to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed.  Unfortunately, this strategy is causing a severe economic contraction as people avoid contact with others. An ideal response to this dilemma would have […]