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COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is a global health crisis that has significantly impacted the world since its emergence. Here is a timeline of key events and milestones in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Milestones
December 21, 2019
Identification of the First Cluster of Cases
Chinese epidemiologists identified the first cluster of patients with pneumonia of an unknown cause in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. This marked the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
December 31, 2019
Notification to WHO
Chinese authorities confirmed they were treating dozens of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology and informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about these cases. Researchers in China identified a new virus that had infected dozens of people.
January 7, 2020
Identification of the Novel Coronavirus
Chinese authorities identified the disease as a new type of coronavirus, novel coronavirus or nCoV. This identification was a crucial step in understanding the nature of the outbreak.
January 23, 2020
Lockdown of Wuhan
Chinese authorities locked down Wuhan to halt the spread of the disease. This was one of the first major containment measures taken to combat the outbreak.
January 30, 2020
Public Health Emergency of International Concern
The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The Trump administration also suspended entry into the United States by any foreign national who had traveled to China in the past 14 days.
March 11, 2020
WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic
The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic due to the alarming levels of spread and severity of the outbreak. This declaration highlighted the global nature of the crisis.
March 15, 2020
State Shutdowns and Social Distancing Measures
States in the U.S. began to shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19. New York City's public school system shut down, and Ohio called for restaurants and bars to close. Social distancing measures were extended until the end of April 2020.
April 3, 2020
CDC Recommends Mask-Wearing
The CDC recommended that all people wear a mask when outside their homes to reduce the transmission of the virus. This was a significant shift in public health guidance.
April 30, 2020
Launch of Operation Warp Speed
President Trump launched Operation Warp Speed, an initiative aimed at producing a vaccine for the coronavirus as quickly as possible. This initiative played a crucial role in the rapid development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
July 27, 2020
Start of Phase 3 Clinical Trials for Vaccines
Pfizer and Moderna announced the start of their phase 3 clinical trials for their respective COVID-19 vaccines. These trials were pivotal in the eventual approval and distribution of the vaccines.
December 3, 2020
CDC ACIP Recommends Vaccine Prioritization
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that health care professionals and residents of long-term care facilities be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine. This marked the beginning of the vaccine rollout in the U.S..
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Brief
Known For
A highly contagious infectious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Chronicle
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19 December, 2023
The WHO declared another distinctive variant, JN.1, had emerged as a 'variant of
interest'.
5 May, 2023
The Public Health Emergency of International Concern for COVID-19 ended.
7 December, 2021
The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) had spread to 57 countries.
1 February, 2021
Cluster 5, a variant of SARS-CoV-2 among minks and mink farmers in Denmark, was
assessed to no longer be circulating among humans in Denmark.
2 December, 2020
The first COVID-19 vaccine was granted regulatory approval by the UK medicines
regulator MHRA.
30 October, 2020
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom warned about the long-term effects of COVID-19,
describing the vast spectrum of symptoms as 'really concerning'.
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