- The novel coronavirus continues to spread, triggering fears of a global economic downturn.
- Business Insider used data from the US Labor Department to look at what occupations could be hit the hardest by a broader outbreak.
- In addition to medical professionals and first responders, many service workers like couriers and fast-food workers could be impacted by the new illness.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China has continued spreading, infecting over 83,000 people around the world, most of whom are in China.
The virus has reached the United States, with 60 cases confirmed so far. The ongoing spread of the virus has triggered fears of an economic downturn, with US stocks tumbling over the week.
We took a look at what occupations in the US could be most affected by a broader coronavirus spread, based on how much risk they have of being exposed to illnesses like the coronavirus.
The Labor Department's O*NET database includes ratings for hundreds of occupations for dozens of work characteristics, activities, and skills. We took a look at various factors that could make a particular occupation more susceptible to a breakout of a highly infectious illness: Risk of exposure to diseases and infections, physical proximity to other people, direct contact with the public, and freedom to make decisions like being able to stay home if they or their family members are ill.
Medical professionals and first responders are likely to be on the front lines in any major disease outbreak. But in addition to those groups, service and transportation workers could also be at risk of contracting or spreading an epidemic virus.