Karl W. Smith, Columnist

How the Pandemic Can Make the U.S. More Productive

Technology could finally transform education and medicine.

April 9, 2020 at 11:00 AM UTC

Karl W. Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Previously, he was vice president for federal policy at the Tax Foundation and assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina.

Making school more productive?
Photographer: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP

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The Great Suppression will continue to cause enormous economic and personal hardship for scores of millions of Americans. It is possible, however, for the U.S. to emerge from this pandemic with a stronger and more productive economy.

To be clear, the base case is not rosy. The next few months will be difficult as the U.S. and the rest of the world struggle to contain and cope with the loss of life associated with Covid-19. The shutdown of vast swaths of the world economy is both necessary (to slow the virus) and tragic (for those whose livelihoods it will ruin). It is important never to lose sight of the enormity of the suffering caused by this pandemic.