Share markets in the US have plummeted with losses accelerating after the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
BBC News reports the Dow Jones plunged nearly 1,500 points or more than 5.8%, while the S&P 500 fell 4.9% and Nasdaq fell 4.7%.
The declines pushed the Dow more than 20% below its recent high, a threshold that often accompanies a recession.
The falls come as the virus's spread has the global economy reeling.
Concerns about the disease have disrupted manufacturing, prompted widespread closings and cancellations, and kept people at home in the US.
[Source: BBC]
