It takes a particular kind of monster to look at something like the deadly Wuhan coronavirus quickly spreading around the globe and think, "Profit." That kind of monster finds a home in the Trump administration: This time, specifically, it’s Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Talking to Fox Business Network Thursday morning, Ross touted the potential economic boom that could result from the disease, after an obligatory "Every American's heart has to go out to the victims."
"But the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain," Ross continued. Just like with SARS and other mass disease outbreaks, "It's another risk factor that people need to take into account," he said. "So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Some to U.S., probably some to Mexico as well." That certainly inspires faith in the Trump administration's readiness to respond to the outbreak.
NBC News reports that as of Thursday, 170 people in China have died from the disease, with more than 7,700 cases confirmed. The World Health Organization's emergency committee meets again Thursday. It has not yet declared the virus a global public health emergency. In the U.S., five cases have been confirmed, with another 165 people identified as potential cases.