Healthcare

Economic effects#

“Finance ministers from the G7 and central bankers said they were “ready to act” to cushion economic fallout.”

Fear management#

[At the same time, U.S. administration focused on] “efforts to manage public fears over the disease, even as it continues to spread around the world.”

Attempts to reduce health risks#

“With the threat of a full-scale pandemic growing by the day, governments around the world shifted their focus on Tuesday to devising plans to contain the spread of the new coronavirus rather than to stamp it out, and to do so without causing widespread social disruption and economic upheaval.”

More population quarantines#

“Beijing and Shanghai will now require people who have recently visited countries where infections are on the rise to undergo quarantine.”

— The New York Times. Coronavirus Updates: Governments Shift Focus to Containment, as Virus Spreads Globally. News article. The New York Times. 2020-03-03.

3,000 deaths worldwide#

“The epidemic continues to expand rapidly worldwide, topping 90,000 cases and 3,000 deaths. U.S. officials say virus testing kits will soon become widely available.”

— The New York Times. Outbreak Strikes Seattle Area as Testing Is Scrutinized. News article. The New York Times. 2020-03-03.

Manhattan Woman#

“[…] she had not ridden public transportation since returning to New York.”

People rush to buy sanitary supplies

“By this weekend, many stores in the city had run out of sanitary supplies such as hand sanitizer, masks and antibacterial wipes.”

— Goldstein, Joseph; McKinley, Jesse. Manhattan Woman Is First Confirmed Coronavirus Case in State. News article. The New York Times. 2020-03-01.

Privacy impact of coronavirus outbreak#

“As China encourages people to return to work despite the coronavirus outbreak, it has begun a bold mass experiment in using data to regulate citizens’ lives — by requiring them to use software on their smartphones that dictates whether they should be quarantined or allowed into subways, malls and other public spaces.

But a New York Times analysis of the software’s code found that the system does more than decide in real time whether someone poses a contagion risk. It also appears to share information with the police, setting a template for new forms of automated social control that could persist long after the epidemic subsides.”

— Mozur, Paul; Zhong, Raymond; Krolik, Aaron. In Coronavirus Fight, China Gives Citizens a Color Code, With Red Flags. News article. The New York Times. 2020-03-01.

Effects on the oil production#

“Commodity exporters are especially exposed to trade with China, where the coronavirus outbreak has crippled production and consumption, as factories remain below capacity and transport is curtailed.

“While many firms remained upbeat for the year ahead, business expectations were hit by fears that the virus outbreak could damage an already struggling domestic economy” in the U.A.E., [David Owen, Economist at IHS Markit, said in a report].”

— Mathew, Shaji. Gulf’s Top Two Economies Dealt Setback After Virus Disruption. News article. Bloomberg. 2020-03-03.

Airports#

“This is the emptiest I’ve ever seen the airport.”

— Quinn, Corey. Corey Quinn on Twitter. Message thread. Twitter. 2020-03-03 at 14:52.

Airports are getting less crowded because people are reducing amount of travel.