Non-health GDP Loss due to COVID-19 Deaths in Westh Bengal, India

This study estimates the economic losses (GDP), particularly the impact of COVID-19 deaths on non-health components of GDP in West Bengal state. Economic losses in terms of Non-Health Gross Domestic Product (NHGDP)among six age-group brackets viz. 0-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75 and 75 and above were estimated to facilitate comparisons and to initiate advocacy for an increase in health investments against COVID-19. This study used midpoint age as the age of death for all the age brackets. The legal minimum age for working i.e., 15 years. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the effect of age on the overall total NHGDP loss estimate. The model was re-estimated assuming an average age at death to be the starting age of each age-group bracket. Based on existing literature discounted rate of interest to measure the value of life is taken as 2.9%. As a sensitivity analysis NHGDP loss has also been computed using 5% and 10% of discounted rates of interest.