Facing COVID-19 sustainably: saving the economy or people’s lives?

The COVID-19 pandemic provoked a difficult dichotomy for most of western States, whether to focus in saving the economy from a collapse bigger than the one suffered during the Great Recession or saving as many lives as possible. To balance these two elements has been a key element in how different countries managed the COVID-19 crisis. In this article, through the comparison in up to six countries, we will describe how were the measures taken into place and how effective they were in both saving the economy and saving lives. Through a comparative analysis we will be able to provide certain trends in crisis management and in sustainable growing despite the economic chaos that the COVID-19 has made in Western economies. The COVID-19 pandemic provoked a difficult dichotomy for most of western States, whether to focus in saving the economy from a collapse bigger than the one suffered during the Great Recession or saving as many lives as possible. To balance these two elements has been a key element in how different countries managed the COVID-19 crisis. In this article, through the comparison in up to six countries, we will describe how were the measures taken into place and how effective they were in both saving the economy and saving lives. Through a comparative analysis we will be able to provide certain trends in crisis management and in sustainable growing despite the economic chaos that the COVID-19 has made in Western economies.