COVID-19 caused the global stock-market crash that reached its low point in March 2020.
As the novel coronavirus spread internationally, governments introduced travel restrictions, business closures, and stay-at-home measures. Investors rapidly reassessed corporate earnings, economic activity, and supply chains, producing exceptionally sharp declines in major stock indexes.
The crash included four trading halts in the U.S. market during March 2020, triggered when the S&P 500 fell by the required amount for circuit breakers. The Federal Reserve and other central banks introduced aggressive support measures, while governments announced large fiscal programs.
The market recovered unusually quickly compared with many earlier crashes, although the pandemic caused severe disruption and loss of life. COVID-19 is the disease name; SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes it, a distinction often blurred in casual descriptions.