But it is inaccurate to compare the coronavirus to these other events, said MIT professor Yossi Sheffi, director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, during a March 16 webinar. COVID-19 is affecting both supply and demand. And today China, where the pandemic started and factories have been affected for weeks, plays a much bigger part in the global economy than it did during past disasters. Businesses are also seeing a reduction in global demand because of fear and online distancing, he said, which could bring about a severe recession.
This is a so-called black swan event, Sheffi said: a rare, unpredictable disruption that causes lasting damage.