The "discussion paper" cites https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3680348 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3680348 which in tu

The "discussion paper" cites https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3680348 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3680348 which in turn uses the vague "VSL" cited as DOT's $11 million per life. > Using standard assumptions provided by the CDC, we estimate that as of July 27, 2020, the actual number of cumulative Covid-19 cases in the U.S. is about 47 million with almost 1 million involving hospitalizations. Applying value per statistical life (VSL) and relative severity/injury estimates from the Department of Transportation (DOT), we estimate an overall non-fatal unadjusted valuation of $2.2 trillion for the U.S. with a weighted average value of about $46,000 per case. Note that they're not saying the health care or direct costs are $46,000 but instead that it is a statistically useful value -- and it only applies to non-fatal cases of COVID-19, so it actually excludes the "worst case" outcome. As a result, it's an alarming number, but it's meant to illustrate how much the government might consider reasonable to spend to prevent folks from getting COVID-19 -- its impact to the economy, and it has to be balanced against the significant economic impact that other COVID mitigations have already had, particularly for those who have not been at risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 but still are economically disadvantaged by the mitigations. It's kind of a brutal way of thinking about it. How much is one life worth, in dollars, for regulation and decision-making purposes? I haven't read it, but https://muse.jhu.edu/book/64735 https://muse.jhu.edu/book/64735 came up in Google searches and looks moderately interesting and relevant here.