The Cost of Privacy: Welfare Implications of Disclosure of COVID-19 Cases 

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01095

Commentary

In this study, Korea was investigating the cost and other implications of disclosing detailed location information of COVID-19 positive individuals.

The study quantified the impact of public disclosure on the transmission of the virus and economic losses in Seoul, and found that changes in commuting patterns due to disclosure resulted in 60,000 fewer cases and 2,000 fewer deaths in Seoul over a two-year period.

It has also been estimated that the economic cost of such a blockade would be almost four times higher than a citywide blockade with the same number of cases as in the disclosure scenario occurring over a two-year period.