Wuhan virus outbreak strikes hard Vietnam's economy.

In a gloomy forecast in the first regular cabinet meeting of the year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said it expected that exports to China in the first quarter could drop by 5-8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Such an estimate would involve the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic being put under control in less than three months since it began in late January.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus 2019-nCov that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan climbed to 492 as of Wednesday, with 24,536 people infected, mostly in mainland China. The virus has rapidly spread to 25 countries, including Vietnam which reported 10 infections, prompting the country to declare a public health emergency.

Export volume to China would plummet for various reasons including a decrease in the country's demand for...