Timely pandemic countermeasures reduce both health damage and economic loss: Generality of the exact solution

Abstract

Balancing pandemic control and economics is challenging, as the numerical analysis assuming specific economic conditions complicates obtaining predictable general findings. In this study, we analytically demonstrate how adopting timely moderate measures helps reconcile medical effectiveness and economic impact, and explain it as a consequence of the general finding of ``economic irreversibility" by comparing it with thermodynamics. A general inequality provides the guiding principles on how such measures should be implemented. The methodology leading to the exact solution is a novel theoretical contribution to the econophysics literature.