I think this is less about MWC or Barcelona having health fears and more the domino effect of big exhibitors pulling out. It seems a lot of those pulled out because their Chinese companies, and presumably impacted by travel restrictions meaning they couldn’t get key people prepared in advance and then out to the event.

Once the big exhibitors pull out you then see attendees doing likewise as meetings they were travelling for get cancelled, and finally smaller exhibitors deciding it’s not worth the effort.