2020-03-16_Bloomberg_Businessweek_Asia_Edition

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Coro


n??virus Special Report


Bloomberg Businessweek


1

The coronavirus t at causes Covid-1 is


a minute, studded wrecking ball that’s ot


even truly alive. But in its machinelike way, it’s


defeating every effort to halt its spread. M re


than100 nations had reported infecti ns


as of March 10, and almost 4, 000 peo le


had died, according to a Bloomberg tally.


On March 11, the World Health Organization


declared the outbreak a pandemic.


business activity, profits, and stock pri es


have plunged. N95 masks have beco e


rare and precious, and things that were o ce


valued are in surplus—take crude oil, he


price of which plunged as spigots ope ed


in an impromptu geopolitical knife fight.


The most valuable commodity? Distan e.


There is security in the ability to stay m re


than a cough’s distance away from oth rs.


You don’t want to be a barista, a dentist,


Cover: Photograph by Daniel Xie

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