Economy needs a shot in the arm to help combat the coronavirus
Timely and effective State intervention is vital in times of crisis - and we may be entering such a period right now
Ireland and the rest of the world face a period of unusual uncertainty. Although recent news from China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, gives some cause to believe the health impact and its economic side-effects can eventually be contained, it is likely that things will get worse before they get better in most countries.
Just how serious it could get from a health perspective is the most uncertain aspect of the outbreak. If deaths in Ireland match those in China thus far, around a dozen people would lose their lives over the next three months (the crude death rate from the disease in China stands at around one in 400,000 of the population).
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