Just How Badly Can the Coronavirus Mess Up the Stock Market?

What modern epidemics like Ebola and SARS can teach us about the possible impact of the coronavirus on global markets

Traders work through the closing minutes of trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange floor on February 25, 2020 in New York City. Photo: Scott Heins/Getty Images

Global stock markets plunged this week as the coronavirus outbreak continued to spread, stoking fears of global pandemic and an economic slowdown.