Estimates of the value of life lost from COVID-19 in Ohio
Publication: Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
Abstract
The economic burden of mortality due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) extends beyond the lives lost. Data from the Ohio Department of Public Health and Social Security Administration was used to estimate the years of potential life lost, 72,274 and economic value of those lost lives, US$17.39 billion. These estimates may be used to assess the risk-trade off of COVID-19 mitigation strategies in Ohio.
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References
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Pages: 281 - 284
PubMed: 33594901
Copyright
© 2021 Future Medicine Ltd.
History
Received: 6 November 2020
Accepted: 14 December 2020
Published online: 17 February 2021
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Estimates of the value of life lost from COVID-19 in Ohio. (2021) Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research. DOI: 10.2217/cer-2020-0245
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