US President Donald Trump says the effects of infections of the new coronavirus may continue until August.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, he said, "People are talking July, August, something like that.
So it could be right in that period of time, where I say it washes through."
When asked by a reporter whether the US economy was heading into a recession, Trump replied, "Well it may be, we're not thinking in terms of recession, we're thinking in terms of the virus."
The president added, "Once it goes away, I think you're going to see a tremendous surge."
Shares on the New York Stock Exchange took a plunge after Trump's comments.
The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average temporarily shed over 3,000 points.
NHK
