How do we handle risk in the post-Covid world?

The IEA is delighted to host a virtual panel discussion on the topic of “Balancing Risk and Wellbeing – Lessons from the Pandemic”. This webinar discussion will be chaired by the IEA’s Head of Lifestyle Economics, Chris Snowdon.

The coronavirus pandemic has raised uncomfortable questions about the trade-off between health and wealth. Lockdowns and social distancing have prevented many cases of Covid-19, but at a huge cost to the economy. How can we tell if it was worth it? Is there necessarily a trade-off between health and wealth or can there be a virtuous circle? Putting a value on a human life strikes many people as immoral and yet, in a world of scarce resources, governments often make life and death decisions based on such calculations. Is this fair? How should we balance life and liberty? Is there also a trade-off between health and wellbeing? And what lessons have we learned about how to handle risk in a post-Covid world?

Our panel will consist of the following speakers: Julian Jessop, IEA Fellow and former IEA Chief Economist; Timandra Harkness, Broadcaster, Mathematician and Author; Professor Robin Dunbar, Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at Oxford University; and Otto Brøns-Petersen, Head of Analysis at the Danish Free Market Think Tank, Centre of Political Studies (CEPOS).

Read Julian’s recent paper, Is the Lockdown Worth it? here.