Thread by @business

THREAD: China's coronavirus outbreak has killed at least 80 people, with over 2800 confirmed cases including patients in four continents

Here's what you need to know about the impact of the outbreak on travel, business, and the markets ⬇️trib.al/PRLatEw

China has put a huge lockdown in place in and around the city of Wuhan, where the first cases of the virus emerged. Around 40 million people are in the quarantine zone, though its effectiveness may be difficult to assess trib.al/kRcVgbL

The Chinese authorities have extended the Lunar New Year holiday by three days in an attempt to slow the spread of the infection. As a result, China's massive financial markets may remain closed until at least next Monday trib.al/8b1Cn66

Airlines and airports are taking steps to protect staff and passengers from the deadly virus. Flights have been cancelled, passengers are being screened for signs of fever, and at least one airline has equipped staff with hazmat suits trib.al/uEBCLAs

Some businesses operating in China are evacuating their staff, while others have told them to work from home. Attractions, including Shanghai's Disneyland resort, have temporarily shut down; international chains, including Starbucks, have closed locations trib.al/FEnKAU3

Chinese authorities also cancelled exams scheduled for next month, potentially delaying some students from studying abroad trib.al/1i8YXvz

Japan's fragile economy could be particularly vulnerable to the effects of the outbreak. Some economists believe it could be hit harder than during the SARS outbreak of 2003, partly because of growth in tourism by big-spending Chinese visitors trib.al/UUZpRoB

Hong Kong has six confirmed cases of coronavirus. Protests broke out as authorities there began converting a housing estate into a possible quarantine facility, raising fears that the outbreak could become a new source of unrest for the battered city trib.al/kmiPWZF

The spread of the coronavirus has spurred demand for haven assets, with gold prices rising as equities and crude oil tumbled trib.al/8DdEPXn

Keeping track of the spread of the infection can be a challenge. These maps and charts show the countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus, the ages of the victims, and its spread around the world trib.al/QgL0t0I

Efforts are underway to develop a vaccine—though that may be months away. Meanwhile Wuhan has fast-tracked construction of a 1,000-bed hospital for coronavirus patients, scheduled to open in 10 days

Read more about the race to contain China's killer bug: trib.al/HlsVCWD