Investors sit in front of a board showing stock information at a brokerage house on the first day of trade in China since the Lunar New Year, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China February 3, 2020.
But most new infections are now being reported elsewhere, with news on Thursday of a jump in cases in South Korea accompanied by a warning that the virus may be spreading in California. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1percent by lunchtime and has lost 7 percent this week. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.7 percent to its lowest since October. The Hang Seng fell 1percent. Gold climbed 0.7 percent.
A show of confidence from President Donald Trump, who sought to play down the risks to the United States at a White House press conference, offered little solace to traders focused on the virus' spread. The only bright spot, ironically, was China's stock market, which steadied in relief that domestically, at least, the outbreak appears to be under control.The virus has driven an enormous flight of assets out of Asia as investors try to isolate themselves from both the outbreak itself and the cost of what has now been more than a month of paralysis in the world's second-biggest economy.