The bigger threat in the short term may not be the disease itself, but the disruptions resulting from fear of further spread. Already, Russia has closed its border with China. Both ships and planes thought to be harboring infections have been quarantined or turned away from ports. The United States has evacuated large numbers of diplomatic staff and issued warnings against travel to any part of China. Within China the economic impact is already large and still growing. That wave of economic malaise may radiate much more quickly than the virus.
It is not time to panic over the threat represented by coronavirus. However, it is time to consider the possible effects of prolonged disruption from interrupted supply chains, shortages of items manufactured in China, or further restrictions of travel and trade. Companies, educational facilities, and city managers are already looking at what it could mean if there is an extended disruption of normal activities—not because the coronavirus is likely to have the devastating reach of the 1918 flu, but because the steps necessary to arrest its spread may mean taking unfamiliar actions.
It’s also very much time to debunk the
dangerous myths whose internet transmission rate is way, way too high. That includes the idea that the novel coronavirus is a manmade bioweapon which … it’s not.
This isn’t time to panic. It is time to stay aware of the course of this emerging disease and what steps are being taken to address the outbreak.