Policy makers responding to COVID-19 need to know what value to place on a life saved because loosening and tightening lockdowns create health-wealth trade-offs. Given the unique nature of COVID-19, off-the-shelf valuations may not be appropriate. Our survey experiment in UK and US (N=4,618) finds citizens' current valuation of life saved is a factor of 3-10 times greater than these more usual figures. Such high valuations cannot be ignored because they correlate with lockdown compliance. We draw a further policy implication of caution in relaxing lockdowns because our information treatment effects suggest these valuations will change as income losses accumulate.