How bad will it get? That was the question this week, but it applied to several things: the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus around the world, the resulting stock market plunge and the concern about whether America's political leaders are up to the challenge.
An outbreak of the disease is inevitable in the US, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters Tuesday: "It's not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but ... a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness."