Economic Affairs: Why the Wuhan virus may be worse than Sars

Given China's internal and global links, the economic impact could be far and wide, says associate editor Vikram Khanna.

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Could the economic impact of the Wuhan coronavirus be worse than that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003? Unfortunately, it's possible, if not likely.

While it's still early days - we are less than one month on from the virus' first reported outbreak just after the new year - if you consider the state of China's economy today compared with what it was in 2003, the linkages it has with the region and the world and the economic importance of Wuhan itself, a worse-than-Sars scenario cannot be ruled out.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 29, 2020, with the headline Economic Affairs: Why the Wuhan virus may be worse than Sars. Subscribe