Does money buy health? evaluation of stock market performance and economic growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Main Authors: Bibi, Aisha, Khan, Imran, Zaman, Khalid, Sriyanto, Sriyanto, Sasmoko, Sasmoko, Khan, Aqeel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science 2022
• Subjects: HB Economic Theory
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/103659/1/AqeelKhan2022_DoesMoneyBuyHealth.pdf; http://eprints.utm.my/103659/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269879
• Institution: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

The novel coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly harmed numerous social and economic activities worldwide, drawing researchers and governments’ attention to the problem and tackling it via persistent healthcare measures. The study’s primary purpose is to examine the effects of total coronavirus cases, total fatalities, total recovered cases, unemployment, and trade openness on stock prices and economic growth in the world’s top 39 affected nations. An analysis of the coronavirus outbreaks found that wealthier countries had a well-established healthcare infrastructure, but they were disproportionately affected by the virus. Conversely, the less wealthy nations had inadequate healthcare infrastructures, but they were not as affected as the wealthier countries. Is it possible to buy health with money? That was the question at the heart of the study’s money-and-health curve. The robust least square regression results indicate that an increase in coronavirus cases influences economic growth and stock market performance due to massive healthcare funding distributed globally, sustaining economic and financial activities for a shorter period. However, a continuous increase in coronavirus fatalities depresses the stock market, resulting in financial depression worldwide. Additionally, a rise in overall coronavirus recovered cases has a negative effect on the country’s economic development and stock market performance because of greater uncertainty in economic and financial activities. Case fatality ratios influence economic growth, whereas case recovery ratios decrease economic and financial performance due to greater healthcare concerns across countries. Finally, trade openness is critical in sustaining the country’s economic development and stock market performance in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic.