Thread by @voxdotcom

1/ Jasmine Holloway, a mom of three, is one of millions of Americans who lost their job during the pandemic.

But thanks to the US economic response to Covid-19, Jasmine is financially better off now than before the pandemic started. bit.ly/3eYMzNx

2/ From a lack of social distancing to inadequate contact tracing and scarce testing, the US failed to contain its early outbreak.

But the decision to ramp up spending to support families and businesses was a key factor in saving the economy from a 2008-like collapse.

3/ Expanded unemployment benefits and stimulus checks allowed Jasmine to take care of her family and create a previously unattainable financial safety net.

She knows it’s temporary, but says the support “has enabled me to do things I’ve only dreamed about doing for my family.”

4/ And Jasmine isn’t alone. The US was one of three large countries to provide its citizens with stimulus checks.

It also offered the most generous unemployment payments globally, allowing unemployed Americans to have as much as 145% of their wages replaced.

5/ Many have criticized the big spending, but data shows the pandemic relief didn't just offer immediate support: It also reduced poverty.

“The US will come out of this economically better than any country that was similarly affected by the virus,” says economist @jasonfurman.

6/ Yes, America’s initial public health response to Covid-19 was deeply botched.

But its robust economic response – one of the strongest in the world – could inform policy changes to improve American lives long term. bit.ly/3ud13Q4

7/ To learn more about the US response to Covid-19 and the successes and failures of five other countries’ virus response, check out Vox’s Pandemic Playbook series: bit.ly/3vAx4BI