With the world and national count of affected coronavirus patients and deaths rising, along with news of shutdowns for entire countries and regions, economists and other analysts are busy clawing through the data in an attempt to offer informed opinions on how the U.S. economy will be affected. Frustratingly, the tragic outbreak is not the only disturbance affecting us. There are still trade wars, Middle East disturbances, and petroleum warfare between Russia and the Saudis ripping through markets.

For those trying to put all this into perspective, the big question has to do with whether we face a serious downturn (such as a 2020 recession) and, if so, just how severe it may be.