This article begins by stating the facts regarding COVID-19’s current status and trajectory. I will then outline the economic and financial consequences of this event and provide my outlook on certain asset classes given the epidemic.
Facts
Italy is currently the epicenter of viral outbreak with roughly 47,000 confirmed cases and 4,000 deaths, as of this writing. While case counts in China have tapered off, case counts ex-China entered their parabolic stage in early March and total case counts in Europe have surpassed those in China. The U.S. changed its tone from writing off COVID-19