By the start of January, reports of the virus had begun surfacing in more countries. The first cases outside China were detected in Thailand and Japan. Matthew sat in his office, scrolling through the latest updates on his tablet while Angel prepared a financial summary.
"Cases have now been confirmed in South Korea," Angel said, glancing up from her own device. "Experts are still saying there's no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission, but given the rise in infections, that won't hold for long."
Matthew leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "It's only a matter of time before countries start reacting. Governments will be too slow at first, and then they'll overcompensate when panic sets in."
Angel nodded. "If this follows the pattern you described, we should expect a market dip soon. Are we ready to move?"
"Almost," Matthew replied. "We wait for the panic trigger—an official declaration from the World Health Organization."