Our coverage of the coronavirus
A selection of our stories about covid-19 and its consequences
The novel coronavirus has killed more than a million people and infected many millions more since it first emerged in China last December. It has compelled many governments to lock down their populations to a degree unimaginable until recently. It is causing the most brutal recession in living memory. At The Economist, we are analysing every aspect of the pandemic—from the science to its political, economic and social consequences—with rigour and a global perspective. And we have invited thinkers outside the newspaper to share their views on the world after covid-19. Every piece we publish is fact-checked. To stay up to speed with our latest coverage, register to receive The Economist Today, our daily newsletter, listen to our podcasts or bookmark this page.
Latest stories
The biggest story ever?
Only the world wars have rivalled covid-19 for news coverage
In late March, 80% of our articles mentioned “covid” or “coronavirus”
Covid-19 in 2020
The year when everything changed
Why the pandemic will be remembered as a turning-point
Living on a prayer
The Vatican’s finances have been squeezed by covid-19
But they are so opaque it is impossible to say how badly
Lessons learned
Shutting schools has hit poor American children’s learning
Evidence is trickling in that this year’s cohort have fallen behind
Awaiting their fate
Brazil faces hard spending choices in 2021
The poor received huge welfare payments during the pandemic. These may soon dry up
Data trackers
Covid-19 data
Tracking covid-19 across the world
Follow the global path of the coronavirus with our interactive guide
Covid-19 data
Excess deaths, by country or city
In many parts of the world, official death tolls undercount the total number of fatalities
Covid-19 data
The spread of the virus across Europe
How countries and regions are coping with the covid-19 pandemic
Covid-19 data
The spread of the virus across America
Explore which places are most severely affected by covid-19
Epidemiology
Charlemagne
Why is Europe so riddled with vaccine scepticism?
Anti-vaxxers could hinder the struggle against covid-19
Coming soon
Europe prepares for its first batches of covid-19 vaccines
But supplies and uptake are both uncertain
Out of sight
Learning-disabled Britons are the pandemic’s forgotten victims
A lowly position in the vaccine queue is their latest trial
An injection of urgency
Britain becomes the first country to license a fully tested covid-19 vaccine
Inoculations with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab could start in less than a week
Babbage
Another dose of good news—what do the latest vaccine developments mean?
Our podcast on the science and technology making the news. Also this week: how will the pandemic change humanity?
Economic consequences
Reasons to be cheerful
The pandemic could give way to an era of rapid productivity growth
Businesses have adopted new processes and technologies—and there are signs that they may pay off
The world economy
After the pandemic, will inflation return?
Low inflation underpins today’s economic policy. It is not guaranteed to last
The great accelerator
Covid-19 heightens private-equity investors’ interest in sport
As a business, sport has a lot going for it. Shame about the fans
Daily chart
Airbnb guests seek out cleaner properties in the pandemic
Accommodation with better hygiene ratings mops up a bigger share of bookings
Political and social impact
The Holly and the UV
A covid-19-themed shop in New York is thriving
A different sort of Christmas shopping bonanza
3C epiphany
The Japanese authorities understood covid-19 better than most
That has helped keep Japan’s outbreak relatively small
The way we live now
“The Zoom Paintings” are dispatches from a strange year
In lockdown Michael Mandiberg started capturing the offices, bedrooms and kitchens of others while on video calls
By invitation: the world after covid-19
Persuasion problems
Katy Milkman on how to nudge people to accept a covid-19 vaccine
A catastrophe will unfold if people reject immunisations, but behavioural science can encourage people to do the right thing
Know thy enemy
Tedros Adhanom on why vaccine nationalism harms efforts to halt the pandemic
Going it alone will perpetuate the economic and health crisis—for all
