In my novel, the United States is struggling to deal with an economic crash when it’s outright shattered by a deadly flu pandemic from China. I’m hoping that life doesn’t imitate art.
The New York Times is reporting that the new strain of coronavirus that has killed at least three and sickened at least 200 others in the city of Wuhan can spread from person to person, according to a top Chinese health official. Worse yet, everyone in China is traveling to commemorate Lunar New Year, which will give the virus more opportunity to spread.
UPDATE: The CDC reported today that the first US case has been diagnosed, although that person is not severely ill.
The World Health Organization will be holding an emergency meeting Wednesday to determine whether the virus “constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.”
It’s not time to panic, but I’ll be watching the news carefully about this. And maybe, just maybe, this will be what finally gets me to kick my horrible lifelong habit of biting my nails.