In all seriousness, the odds of catching the coronavirus are slim(for now), but the knock on effect of the situation will impact us all. Instead of being worried about catching the virus, I'd be more concerned and preparing for the panic that will set in if the number of cases drastically increases in Japan.

The face mask shortage is only the beginning.

Mainly there will be severe shortages of food, as supply chains become disrupted and people start stockpiling, similar to what happened in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 earthquake. It was stunning to realize at that time just how much a city like Tokyo is invariably sitting on the brink of chaos.

Considering Japan relies on China for 20% of their food imports, and factories are shutting down by the day in China, it is only a matter of time until we see the knock on effect here with prices and empty supermarket shelves. China also accounts for 20% of Japan exports, so expect revenue for Japanese companies to suffer if restrictions become more prolonged.

In other words, there could be severe economic consequences. Fast Retailing among other retailers saw a 10%+ drop in their stock price last week - mainly due to their reliance on Chinese consumers. Additionally the Japan manufacturing industry relies heavily on China for parts and finished product, these areas will suffer a significant impact.

Absolute worst case scenario is cities here are declared on lockdown, it would be foolish to believe this couldn't happen when seeing the measures China have taken to contain the virus.

This post is not an attempt at scaremongering, more a caution for people to realize the reality if the situation worsens - and based on the latest statistics and trajectory, it's clear we could be in for a long road ahead.

I'd be interested to hear others thoughts on what to expect in the coming weeks and months.