The fiscal value of human lives lost from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China

Abstract

KEYWORDSCoronavirus disease; fiscal value of human lives; non-health gross domestic product 2 Abstract Objective: According to the WHO coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 35, as of 24 th February 2020, there was a total of 77,262 confirmed COVID-19 cases in China. That included 2,595 deaths. The specific objective of this study was to estimate the fiscal value of human lives lost due to COVID-19 in China as of 24 th February 2020. Results: The deaths from COVID-19 had a discounted (at 3%) total fiscal value of Int$ 924,346,795 in China. Out of which, 63.2% was borne by people aged 25-49 years, 27.8% by people aged 50-64 years, and 9.0% by people aged 65 years and above. The average fiscal value per death was Int$ 356,203. Re-estimation of the economic model alternately with 5% and 10 discount rates led to a reduction in the expected total fiscal value by 21.3% and 50.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the re-estimation of the economic model using the world's highest average life expectancy of 87.1 years (which is that of Japanese females), instead of the national life expectancy of 76.4 years, increased the total fiscal value by Int$ 229,456,430 (24.8%). 1,409.29 million and a total gross domestic product (GDP) of Int$ 29,712.83 billion [1]. According to WHO, as at 24 February 2020, there was a total of 79,331 confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the world, which including 2,618 deaths [2]. About 77,262 (97.39%) of those cases and 2,595 (99.12%) were in China. Huang et al [3] study entitled "Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China" revealed that 49% of people who died of COVID-19 were aged 25-49 years,34% were aged 50-64 years, and 17% were aged 65 years and above.

The net present value of human lives lost due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Islamic Republic of Iran

“…The formulas developed and applied in a recent study on the fiscal value of human lives lost due to COVID-19 deaths in China [21] were adapted and used to estimate the total NPVHL from COVID-19 in Iran (…”

“…The base year was 2020. The detailed model and illustration of how to estimate the equations can be found in Kirigia and Muthuri [21].…”

“…Second, our study omits the COVID-19 health system costs related to prevention (water, soap, sanitizers, personal protective equipment), testing (diagnosis), case tracing, quarantine, and hospitalization of severe cases, and post-mortem. We also did not take into account funeral-related costs, including the purchase of caskets, hiring of a hearse, transport of the bodies (and family and friends), funeral ceremonies, and time of family and friends preparing and attending the funerals [21].…”

The Discounted Money Value of Human Life Losses Associated With COVID-19 in Mauritius

“…Notwithstanding the growing interest for research in the area of COVID-19, there is a dearth of country evidence on the monetary value of human life losses associated with COVID-19. Brazil ( 7 ), Canada ( 8 ), China ( 9 ), France ( 10 ), Iran ( 11 ), Italy ( 12 ), Spain ( 13 ), Turkey ( 14 ), the United Kingdom [UK] ( 15 ), and the USA ( 16 ) are exceptions. Quantifying the real disease burden of COVID-19 in dollar terms is critical to building advocacy to increase investment into health-related systems.…”

Policy Decisions and Response to Fight 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease in Uganda: A review of Attributes, Comprehensiveness and Implications to Improve Resilience to Future Pandemics

“…Since then, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has become a major global public health menace. COVID-19 has affected every country in the world, activities of daily living and continues to claim lives daily (Kirigia & Muthuri, 2020;Ucar & Korkmaz, 2020). On the 1 st May 2020, there were 3,345,203 confirmed cases, 238,796 deaths, with North America and Europe being the most affects areas.…”