How not to let the virus infect your financial future

The coronavirus outbreak is an unprecedented human crisis, the effects of which are being felt around the world. Not only have the stock markets around the world corrected in anticipation of material business disruption, but life itself has virtually come to a standstill. Governments around the world have announced relief measures, with massive spending lined up. Entire countries have been locked out. The United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres has called COVID-19 the worst crisis since the Second World War. Amid such a situation, it's normal for investors to panic and look for a solution. In the month ending March 2020, the Sensex fell 23 per cent, reaching levels last seen in 2016. Though it has seen some recovery since, its daily swings have resembled those of some mercurial small cap. And our leading market index is not alone. Even the S&P 500, which comprises some of the biggest and most renowned multinationals, crashed 12.5 per cent in just one mont