Survey data show that business gloom surrounding the path of the global economy and geopolitical uncertainty had begun to fade at the start of 2020, prior to the 2019-nCov outbreak.
Anecdotal evidence from global survey panelists shows that the worldwide outlook had improved since last autumn, when political tensions and weaker economic and trade data signaled an uncertain future for businesses. As a result, firms' expectations for future output were the strongest for nine months in January.
However, the coronavirus outbreak in China which intensified in late-January offers a potent threat to the world economy