The coronavirus recession?

How bad could this get?

The Wall Street bull.
(Image credit: Illustrated | AndreyKrav/iStock, ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images, EvgVect/iStock)

It was clear earlier this month that the coronavirus outbreak could severely damage the global economy.

On Feb. 12, I wrote that American and Chinese demand had been sustaining the world economy for the last few years, and if China were shut down due to the virus, the ripple effect through global supply chains could drag down the rest of world with it. And sure enough, this week began with news of how the disease is throttling trade flows in and out of China.

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Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.