Economies Sickened by a Virus, and Fear

Around the Asia-Pacific region, the economic impact of Sars is being immediately felt. In one Australian fishing area, lack of demand from Hong Kong restaurants – the industry's biggest customers – means that some fishermen might not make their home mortgage payments. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in India, a software company executive worries about the wisdom of his company's new Singapore office: "Just as business got used to the idea of the globe being a village, along comes a virus that affects something as fundamental to business as travel itself." The duration of the crisis, while still unpredictable, is sure to make for tougher times in the near future. – YaleGlobal