Near the famous Hofbraeuhaus beer hall in downtown Munich, a printout taped to the glass door of a pharmacy conveys the anxiety gripping the city at the center of one of the biggest coronavirus outbreaks outside China.
In plain lettering, the sign declares: "SOLD OUT protective mask." It's a contrast to the sober public-service posters at Munich airport, where authorities inform travelers in tiny German, English and Chinese lettering how to recognize symptoms and what to do.
Germany has taken center stage in the global spread of the coronavirus, a byproduct of the country's vigorous trade with China. New details about the disease — like the fact that people are now getting sick who haven't been in China and catching the virus from someone who didn't show symptoms at the time of contact — are fueling public concerns.
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