Publication:
On SARS Type Economic Effects During Infectious Disease Outbreaks

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dc.contributor.authorBrahmbhatt, Milan
dc.contributor.authorDutta, Arindam
dc.date.accessioned2012-05-25T18:01:12Z
dc.date.available2012-05-25T18:01:12Z
dc.date.issued2008-01
dc.description.abstractInfectious disease outbreaks can exact a high human and economic cost through illness and death. But, as with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in East Asia in 2003, or the plague outbreak in Surat, India, in 1994, they can also create severe economic disruptions even when there is, ultimately, relatively little illness or death. Such disruptions are commonly the result of uncoordinated and panicky efforts by individuals to avoid becoming infected, of preventive activity. This paper places these "SARS type" effects in the context of research on economic epidemiology, in which behavioral responses to disease risk have both economic and epidemiological consequences. The paper looks in particular at how people form subjective probability judgments about disease risk. Public opinion surveys during the SARS outbreak provide suggestive evidence that people did indeed at times hold excessively high perceptions of the risk of becoming infected, or, if infected, of dying from the disease. The paper discusses research in behavioral economics and the theory of information cascades that may shed light on the origin of such biases. The authors consider whether public information strategies can help reduce unwarranted panic. A preliminary question is why governments often seem to have strong incentives to conceal information about infectious disease outbreaks. The paper reviews recent game-theoretic analysis that clarifies government incentives. An important finding is that government incentives to conceal decline the more numerous are non-official sources of information about a possible disease outbreak. The findings suggest that honesty may indeed be the best public policy under modern conditions of easy mass global communications.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/01/8921763/sars-type-economic-effects-during-infectious-disease-outbreaks
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-4466
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/6440
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper; No. 4466
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectACCIDENT
dc.subjectACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME
dc.subjectAGGRESSIVE
dc.subjectAIDS EPIDEMIC
dc.subjectAIDS PREVALENCE
dc.subjectAVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
dc.subjectAVIAN INFLUENZA
dc.subjectBEHAVIOR CHANGE
dc.subjectBULLETIN
dc.subjectBURDEN OF DISEASE
dc.subjectCHOLERA
dc.subjectCITIZENS
dc.subjectCLINICAL DIAGNOSES
dc.subjectCOMMUNITY HEALTH
dc.subjectCOMPLICATIONS
dc.subjectCONDOM
dc.subjectCONDOM USE
dc.subjectCONDOMS
dc.subjectDEATHS
dc.subjectDEMAND FOR CONDOMS
dc.subjectDEMAND FOR VACCINES
dc.subjectDEVELOPING COUNTRIES
dc.subjectDEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
dc.subjectDEVELOPMENT POLICY
dc.subjectDIAGNOSES
dc.subjectDISABILITY
dc.subjectDISASTER
dc.subjectDISEASE
dc.subjectDISEASE OUTBREAK
dc.subjectDISEASE OUTBREAKS
dc.subjectDISEASE PREVALENCE
dc.subjectDISEASE PREVENTION
dc.subjectDISEASE REPORTING
dc.subjectDISEASE SURVEILLANCE
dc.subjectDOCTORS
dc.subjectDRUGS
dc.subjectDYING
dc.subjectECONOMIC GROWTH
dc.subjectEFFECTIVE POLICIES
dc.subjectEMERGING INFLUENZA PANDEMIC
dc.subjectENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
dc.subjectEPIDEMIC
dc.subjectEPIDEMIC DISEASE
dc.subjectEPIDEMICS
dc.subjectEPIDEMIOLOGY
dc.subjectETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
dc.subjectEXTREME EVENTS
dc.subjectFAMILIES
dc.subjectFATALITIES
dc.subjectFATALITY
dc.subjectFLOW OF INFORMATION
dc.subjectGAY MEN
dc.subjectGLOBAL BURDEN
dc.subjectGLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectGLOBAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
dc.subjectHAZARD
dc.subjectHEALTH AUTHORITIES
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
dc.subjectHEALTH OFFICIALS
dc.subjectHEALTH POLICIES
dc.subjectHEALTH POLICY
dc.subjectHEALTH REGULATIONS
dc.subjectHEALTH RESEARCH
dc.subjectHEALTH SURVEILLANCE
dc.subjectHEALTH SYSTEM
dc.subjectHEALTH SYSTEMS
dc.subjectHEALTHY LIFE
dc.subjectHIGH FEVER
dc.subjectHIV
dc.subjectHOSPITAL
dc.subjectHOSPITALS
dc.subjectHUMAN CAPITAL
dc.subjectHUMAN HEALTH
dc.subjectILLNESS
dc.subjectIMMUNIZATION
dc.subjectINDIVIDUAL CHOICES
dc.subjectINDIVIDUAL NEEDS
dc.subjectINFECTION
dc.subjectINFECTION RATE
dc.subjectINFECTIONS
dc.subjectINFECTIOUS DISEASE
dc.subjectINFECTIOUS DISEASES
dc.subjectINFLUENZA
dc.subjectINFLUENZA ACTIVITY
dc.subjectINFLUENZA PANDEMIC
dc.subjectINFLUENZA PANDEMICS
dc.subjectINFLUENZA VIRUS
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL AGENCY
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL POLICY
dc.subjectINTERVENTION
dc.subjectJOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
dc.subjectJOURNALISTS
dc.subjectLABOR FORCE
dc.subjectLAM
dc.subjectLIFE EXPECTANCY
dc.subjectMALARIA
dc.subjectMEASLES
dc.subjectMEDICAL ASSISTANCE
dc.subjectMEDICAL CARE
dc.subjectMEDICAL SCHOOLS
dc.subjectMEDICAL SERVICES
dc.subjectMEDICAL TREATMENT
dc.subjectMILITARY MEDICINE
dc.subjectMINISTRY OF HEALTH
dc.subjectMORBIDITY
dc.subjectMORBIDITY AND MORTALITY
dc.subjectMORTALITY
dc.subjectMORTALITY RISK
dc.subjectMUMPS
dc.subjectNEW INFECTIONS
dc.subjectNUMBER OF NEW INFECTIONS
dc.subjectNURSING
dc.subjectOLD DISEASES
dc.subjectOUTBREAK CONTROL
dc.subjectPACIFIC REGION
dc.subjectPANDEMIC INFLUENZA
dc.subjectPATIENT
dc.subjectPATIENTS
dc.subjectPHARMACIES
dc.subjectPHYSICIAN
dc.subjectPHYSICIANS
dc.subjectPLAGUE
dc.subjectPNEUMONIA
dc.subjectPOLICY BRIEF
dc.subjectPOLICY IMPLICATIONS
dc.subjectPOLICY LEVEL
dc.subjectPOLICY MAKERS
dc.subjectPOLICY RESEARCH
dc.subjectPOLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
dc.subjectPOLIO
dc.subjectPOLITICAL OPPOSITION
dc.subjectPOLITICAL SUPPORT
dc.subjectPOOR HEALTH
dc.subjectPOSTERS
dc.subjectPREMATURE DEATH
dc.subjectPREVALENCE
dc.subjectPREVENTION STRATEGIES
dc.subjectPREVENTIVE ACTION
dc.subjectPREVENTIVE ACTIONS
dc.subjectPREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE
dc.subjectPROGRESS
dc.subjectPROPHYLAXIS
dc.subjectPSYCHOLOGY
dc.subjectPUBLIC HEALTH
dc.subjectPUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES
dc.subjectPUBLIC HEALTH POLICY
dc.subjectPUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM
dc.subjectPUBLIC INFORMATION
dc.subjectPUBLIC OPINION
dc.subjectPUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
dc.subjectPUBLIC POLICY
dc.subjectRADIO
dc.subjectRESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
dc.subjectRESEARCH PROGRAM
dc.subjectRESPECT
dc.subjectRESTAURANTS
dc.subjectRISK FACTORS
dc.subjectRISK OF INFECTION
dc.subjectRUBELLA
dc.subjectSANCTIONS
dc.subjectSEXUAL ACTIVITY
dc.subjectSEXUAL BEHAVIOR
dc.subjectSEXUAL PARTNERS
dc.subjectSEXUAL PRACTICES
dc.subjectSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
dc.subjectSMALLPOX
dc.subjectSOUTH AMERICA
dc.subjectSPECIALISTS
dc.subjectSYMPTOMS
dc.subjectTECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
dc.subjectTRANSPORTATION
dc.subjectTV
dc.subjectVACCINATION
dc.subjectVACCINATION PROGRAM
dc.subjectVACCINE
dc.subjectVACCINES
dc.subjectWORK FORCE
dc.subjectWORKERS
dc.subjectWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
dc.titleOn SARS Type Economic Effects During Infectious Disease Outbreaksen
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crosscuttingsolutionareaGender
okr.crossref.titleOn SARS Type Economic Effects During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T12:27:27.945591Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/01/8921763/sars-type-economic-effects-during-infectious-disease-outbreaks
okr.globalpracticeSocial, Urban, Rural and Resilience
okr.globalpracticeHealth, Nutrition, and Population
okr.guid101511468028867410
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-4466
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000158349_20080107092939
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum8921763
okr.identifier.reportWPS4466
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2008/01/07/000158349_20080107092939/Rendered/PDF/wps4466.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeEast Asia and Pacific
okr.topicUrban Development::Hazard Risk Management
okr.topicHealth Monitoring and Evaluation
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Population Policies
okr.topicDisease Control and Prevention
okr.topicGender::Gender and Health
okr.unitDevelopment Research Group (DECRG)
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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