Can economies compete if one is operating under quarantine conditions and another doesn't have too? Anyone know any past examples of that?
The push to improve economic output every year has as the effect that people have left very little time for themselves, that they have created smog hells in cities around the world.
I would argue that this environment we created is the antidote, where productivity has not gone up based on what you expect from the amount of hours worked. People keep putting more effort in but the output is not moving much.
I would expect that after some time of stabilizing (and articles like this show its already happening) that people will be more productive and be competitive with those that just keep chugging on.
It is easy to see on an individual level: you can try to put in 80 hour weeks, but a competitor that gets plenty of sleep and is happy doing his job just might outcompete you anyway.
I think the same can be seen on a larger scale, and probably with larger difference as well.
An economy where people are able to work in clean air, with much less pressure and much less feeling of being a consumer will end up being more productive even though a lot of people are working from home.
Because, remember, the main reason a lot of jobs are lost is not because productivity went down. It is because money is not spend. And money not spend is left available to be spend on other things. This will re-balance itself.
But I am not sure about your other point. People who put in 80 hours and burn out, can be replaced as there is an endless supply of labor in some parts of the world. At an individual level you compete against that pool. Not just one person. And many in that pool have been told for long, consumerism is the reward.
A lot of populists elected world over have promised their bases (who already feel they are owed) certain things. So they will push to get back to "normal". And given the mistrust and polarization that exists, its going to be a hard sell for big change.
Hopefully someone will show up who can do the selling, as I more or less agree with you things need to change. But I feel it will take multiple generations.
Scandinavia.
Low population density together with a population that finds one metre separation to be less than usual and two metres perfectly manageable.
Saw a joke recently, not sure where now: Swedes were alarmed to be told to stay one metre apart as that was rather closer than they were used to.
There is also an ongoing study in Australia to try to find if there's really a relationship[4] and some talk about trying a similar trial in Boston[5].
It will probably be while before we see any specific results.
[1] http://www.bi.cs.titech.ac.jp/COVID-19/Death_vs_BCGpolicy.ht...
[2] https://mobile.twitter.com/hshimodaira/status/12474763673707...
[3] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/bio...
[4] https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04327206
[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/health/coronavirus-bcg-va...