The pneumonia-like virus strikes Wuhan
On December 31st, 2019, China notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of a series of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to approximately 11 million people.
The core virus was unknown, and disease experts around the world started working to identify it. The strain was traced to a seafood market in the city of Wuhan. After the healthcare authorities confirmed this, the market was shut down quickly.
At that time, more or less than forty people were reported to have an infection.
A new strain of coronavirus emerged
Researchers initially ruled out the SARS virus, the lethal respiratory illness that spread in China in 2002, killing about 800 people worldwide.
Chinese scientists announced on January 7th that they’d detected a new virus. Like SARS and the common cold, it was from the coronavirus family. It was temporarily named 2019-nCoV.
Symptoms include coughing, fever, difficulty breathing and pneumonia.
The first coronavirus death in China
On January 11th, healthcare authorities of China announced the first death from the Coronavirus. A 61-year-old man who had shopped at the Wuhan market died from complications with pneumonia.
The virus reaches neighbouring countries
Countries such as Thailand and Japan began to report cases of infections in people who had a history of visiting the same Wuhan seafood market.
In China, a second fatality was reported in the city. By January 20th, a total of three people died in China, and over 200 were infected.
Transmission remained unclear
Airports around the world started screening travellers arriving from China. Through mid-January, scientists scrambled to identify how the illness was being spread among people.
They suggested that coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they were transmitted from animals to humans. Some coronaviruses could be transmitted by coughing and sneezing.
Officials confirmed on January 20th that the virus could be passed directly between humans.
Millions under Lockdown
On January 23rd, China declared Wuhan in quarantine to limit the spread of the virus.
Transportation was suspended, and orders were delivered to build new hospitals to treat infected patients, which totalled over 830 by the end of January 24th, as the death toll climbed to 26.
Officials from the Chinese healthcare sector eventually extended the lockdown to thirteen other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.
The occurrence of a global health emergency
There have been increasing numbers of cases of Coronavirus reported outside of China, including in Nepal, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and even the U.S.
As the number of infections increased, the WHO determined on January 23rd that it was “too early” to declare a global public health emergency.
Coronavirus reaches Europe
France confirmed three new coronavirus cases on January 24th, marking the epidemic’s first occurrence in Europe.
Hours later, Australia also reported four people infected with the respiratory virus.
Virus outbreaks on heels of Chinese New Year
The Chinese Lunar New Year starts with subdued festivities on January 25th. Authorities cancelled numerous major events to limit the spread during festivities, as millions of Chinese travel and participate in public celebrations.
The death toll reaches 41, with more than 1,300 infected globally – mainly in China.
Scientists hope to have the initial coronavirus vaccines ready within the next three months.