Oil prices retreated on Friday, January 15, with the market catching its breath, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hover over current and future demand for black gold. In the morning, a barrel of Brent from the North Sea for delivery in March lost 1.65% in London compared to the close of the previous day, at 55.49 dollars. The US barrel of WTI for the month of February dropped 1.42% to 52.81 dollars. "Bad news on the coronavirus front is causing uncertainty" among investors, analysts at Commerzbank said. The resurgence of the virus is also hitting China, which had largely brought the epidemic under control but on Thursday January 14 recorded its first death from Covid-19 since May. "Despite the correction of the last few hours, the scenario remains favorable to oil, which is still placed in a positive long-term movement", nuance Carlo Alberto De Casa, of Activtrades.