What The Arrival of Ebola In North America Means
by MarcusLeung
Ebola is a virus which has experienced a rampant outbreak in many countries along the West African Coastline, killing thousands and infecting thousands more. Health officials initially informed North Americans that ebola could be contained, but somehow, it still managed to jump the ocean into both Texas and Toronto. When this happened North American authorities told the public not to panic, so being North Americans, they did.
A handful of health experts have indicated that they believe a small outbreak of Ebola in North America is all but inevitable. This slight possibility of an ebola outbreak represents a slew of potential macroeconomic effects that could come forth, affecting the North American market. The healthy care industry is the most obvious example in this case; a company that successfully launches and markets a drug for the treatment of the virus will see their share prices increase significantly. However, some susceptible industries, such as the airlines, may also experience a downturn due to the emergence of the disease. The looming threat of a worldwide epidemic will discourage people from traveling, and thus global human air transportation will experience a gradual decline in activity. It would not come as a surprise if airline shares begin to drop while their healthcare counterparts rise, as the impending threat of ebola grows larger. Worldwide events like ebola always produce macroeconomic effects, and in the financial world, those who can correctly predict the outcome of these trends typically come out on top.
Sources
Diamond, Dan. “Yes, Ebola Is Scary. But It’s Also Beatable. Here’s Why.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 03 Oct. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
The threat of an Ebola outbreak looms overhead for many First World Countries.