Idiom
when someone sneezes, something catches a coldwhen (someone/something) sneezes, (someone/something) catches a cold
mainly British, mainly British when one person or organization has a problem, this problem has a much worse effect on another person or organization.When New York sneezes, I'm afraid London catches a cold - that is just the way the stock markets operate now.If the country's economy catches a cold, local businesses get pneumonia.