US businesses continued to be slammed by the effects of the novel coronavirus epidemic into the middle of May, a Federal Reserve report showed on Wednesday, and few expected a swift recovery despite some signs of hope. The sharp plunge in economic activity recounted in the US central bank's latest temperature check of business activity across its 12 districts shed light on the depth of the economic pain generated by the virus, which has led to an unprecedented downturn and a US death toll approaching 100,000. The Fed's survey, known as the "Beige Book," was conducted in April, when non-essential businesses were shut down in much of the country, through May 18, when some states had started to loosen restrictions, the Reuters reported. "Economic activity declined in all districts - falling sharply in most," the Fed said in its report. "Although many contacts expressed hope that overall activity would pick up as businesses reopened, the outlook remained highly uncertain and most contacts were pessimistic about the potential pace of recovery."