Why governments get covid-19 wrong
Therapies and vaccines will come, but not for many months. Until then, politicians will have to work on the basics

Editor’s note: Some of our covid-19 coverage is free for readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. For more stories and our pandemic tracker, see our hub
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Why governments get it wrong”

From the September 26th 2020 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
Why Marine Le Pen should be allowed to run for president
Punish the offender without also punishing French democracy

First, jab more babies
As aid shrinks, donors and recipients should focus more on health

Israel’s expansionism is a danger to others—and itself
It risks turning hubris into disaster
Is Elon Musk remaking government or breaking it?
So far, there is more destruction than creation
The unpredictability of Trump’s tariffs will increase the pain
Businesses are struggling to adjust
Labour can still rescue Britain’s growth prospects
But after a messy Spring Statement, the window of opportunity is narrowing