As the coronavirus outbreak spreads rapidly and exceeds the SARS outbreak in 2003, supply chain leaders must mitigate instant disruption and plan for future incidents.

On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) learned of several cases of severe pneumonia in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The pneumonia, a strain of coronavirus that WHO later named COVID-19, has since spread through China and into other countries. 

As global leaders and health officials track the strain and make decisions regarding containment, supply chain leaders need to assess and plan for how the virus will impact global supply chains.