The coronavirus has finally managed to get the Mobile World Congress canceled. The GSMA, the promoters of the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) exhibition in Barcelona, has announced its decision to cancel the fair due to concerns with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Although it is an outcome of great impact for multiple industries, for many it was clear that it was coming, especially considering that the MWC is traditionally a show dominated by large Chinese exhibitors, who have been withdrawing from the congress due to international travel restrictions and concerns about the contagion of the Wuhan coronavirus.
The GSMA is an industry trade body representing more than 1,200 companies across the mobile ecosystem, and the MWC is the opportunity for thousands of companies to come together for partnerships, agreements, and product launches. The MWC has a great economic impact of about 500 million euros, and it also generates 14,100 part-time jobs, so the economic consequences of canceling the event are quite dire and, apparently, insurance does not cover this cause. They do not cover civil war, terrorism, or outbreaks such as SARS or in this case COVID-19.
The World Health Organization has finalized a two-day forum to create a master plan to respond to the outbreak and Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the outbreak poses a “test of solidarity: political, financial and scientific.” WHO believes there will be a vaccine ready in 18 months , after clinical trials are completed, which could begin in three to four months.
