In 2019, Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Webasto plant in Wuhan, China. The factory is now closed. The medical tech division of Siemens, on the other hand, does not anticipate increasing demand for its X-ray machines and computer tomographs. "I wouldn't overestimate the short-term opportunity to do business with it. It doesn't go that quickly," said Siemens Healthineers CEO Bernd Montag.

Chemical companies on the other hand see an opportunity. Lanxess is seeing increased demand for its disinfectant Rely+On Virkon. The antiseptic is used to disinfect hard surfaces and equipment and can be effective against the coronavirus and, especially in China, it will be used more, the company said. Currently they are working to deliver additional quantities as quickly as possible.

At Yum China's fast food chains KFC and Pizza Hut the doors are closed. Luckin Coffee is also offline. The Swedish fashion chain H&M closed about 45 branches in China and the jeans manufacturer Levi Strauss about half of its stores. However, experts assume that the effects on many stores will be small as a lot of their business is now done online.

Like US competitor Nike, German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas temporarily closed many of its own stores in China. In addition, franchise business will be closely monitored. However, it is still too early to assess the effects. In any case, there will be no big advertising events like this one with French soccer star Paul Pogba in Hong Kong 2017.

The epidemic could have "an enormous economic impact," especially for the German car industry, according to car industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. Volkswagen's 33 plants (here the group's own test track in Xinjiang) and its joint ventures in China will remain closed until the weekend, but so far planned deliveries are not at risk.

At Daimler, maker of the Mercedes brand (here a Maybach on show in Beijing), the majority of Chinese production is due to start again next Monday. However, the company is increasingly focusing on having people work from home. At BMW, production in Shenyang is also expected to start again on Monday. Distributors are now already working from home, too.

Japanese carmaker Honda plans to keep its three car plants in Wuhan closed longer for the Chinese New Year holiday. The plants, which are operated together with Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng, will stay idle until at least February 13, a spokesman said. It is not yet clear whether production will then restart, as the company will follow the guidelines of the local authorities.

The virus is increasingly becoming a problem for complex global interlinked supply chains. The auto industry is a good example of this. The South Korean manufacturer Hyundai will suspend all of its domestic production this week, because necessary parts that are normally delivered from China are not coming. Analysts believe that similar problems will soon affect many companies.

Some impacts are already noticeable in Germany, too. Partly because of the risk of infection, fewer visitors are expected at the "Ambiente" consumer goods fair in Frankfurt. This is partially the result of the reduced flight connections from China, said a spokesman for the trade fair organizer. Lufthansa and other international airlines have cut their connections to mainland China.

A quarantine hall at Frankfurt Airport has already been set up for coronavirus evacuees. In 2018, there were more than 1 million people who arrived from China. Most passengers from China arriving in Germany usually land in Frankfurt. The most important Chinese hubs with connections to Germany are the airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. There are no direct flights to and from Wuhan.

On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.

On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.

In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.

China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.

More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.

On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.

On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.

On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."

The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.

Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.

Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.

European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.

As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.

On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.

As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.

On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.

On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.

Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.

On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.

The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27.