Article content

If one thing has spread faster than the new coronavirus from Wuhan, China, it is worldwide fear of the novel bug.

Surgical masks are being hoarded in Toronto, borders closed in Russia and conspiracy theories disseminated far and wide on Twitter.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or New coronavirus may be no more dangerous than the flu despite worldwide alarm: experts Back to video

Meanwhile, the massive quarantines imposed in China are starting to threaten the global economy.

But as evidence of the severity and transmissabilty of 2019-nCoV trickles in, infectious-disease experts say it’s appearing less menacing than first thought, maybe more like seasonal flu than, say, SARS.

The apparently high mortality rates that dominated headlines initially have shrunk as the number of infections grows, and many of the infected appear to have mild or no symptoms.