From what I can tell it has an R0 of 3.9, based on the available numbers of infected on each new report. Thats pretty close to SARS, with a basic reproduction number of 4. Recent genetic analysis says it's 80% similar to SARS too. So theres tens and hundreds of millions of opportunities in each person infected, for this thing to mutate into SARS, or something equivalent in lethality. The nightmare scenario is if it mutates into something *much* more deadly (not likely, but possible). MERS-Cov, a related corona virus, kills *30 to 40 percent of the people it infects*. If this reaches the middle east theres every possibility those two strains could mix. Thankfully these things have a way of coming under control and trailing off after a while and I don't think it'll come to any sort of doomsday. The more likely of the worst case scenarios is this thing spreading and upping it's lethality from 2% to say 3%. Not a huge deal, but something to exercise caution and stricter measures for. It'd basically work out to a bad flu season. Also does anyone remember that movie from 2011, Contagion? Same scenario, but a lot less deadly.