The virus won’t be what ruins China. It’s the panic itself.
And then I went out and people are playing in the park, doing sports, going shopping, eating at restaurants - all the same except the horrifying crowds of tourists, which are gone.
We do work from home though, something that a Hong Kong employer wouldn't usually allow.
On day 23: Swine Flu: 27 deaths 8541 infected, SARS: 119 deaths 2160 infected, Coronavirus: 361 deaths 16768
It's not quite 12 monkeys territory but it does have the potential to kill a lot of people worldwide.
Doubling every 6.4 days gets big fast. If it kept up that rate, which it won't, the world's population would all have it within 4 months. While it won't be that bad it has the potential to quickly run amok and kill many millions.
Basically adding more fuel to the fire.
If you bought a bunch before it was sold out. You can certainly resell some for a large multiple of what you bought them. Shops themselves started doubling price before they sold out.
edit: I am talking about face masks.
We should be so lucky. Prior to this I feared the only thing capable of such a halt would be something like WW3, but if the Corona Virus makes an China incapable of being a Human Right violating power, than all the better.
I can cope with less trinkets and cheap products from there, I already by used or repair most of what I use that made me reliant on China. Everything else I have or want comes from Japan and to a lesser extent (that isn't food/water/housing related) US/EU/Korea.