COVID-19 has made it clear that public health is essential to economic recovery.
The notion that we must choose between them is ridiculous – and has had deadly consequences.
The timeline plots the history of COVID-19, from the first reported case to current events,
which are kept regularly updated.
It can be viewed chronologically, as things happened, or by most recent events first.
Here you can find more a detailed introduction and a guide to abbreviations.
This timeline will be updated approximately weekly throughout 2021.
Please check back for the latest developments.
The South China Morning Post reports a possible first case of illness from the novel coronavirus. Source
Dr. Li Wenliang, a Wuhan ophthalmologist, posts a WeChat message to other doctors to warn them about a new virus and advises them to wear protective gear; he is reprimanded for spreading rumors. Source
• The World Health Organization (WHO) sets up an Incident Management Support Team at country and regional levels and its headquarters.
• First onset of symptoms in a person later confirmed to have illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Source
• A seafood market in Wuhan associated with the cluster of cases is closed.
WHO announces the cluster of cases on social media. Source
• WHO issues online technical guidance, including on transmission of respiratory viruses such as SARS and MERS and infection control measures for healthcare workers.
• Professor Yong-Zhen Zhang, Fudan University, Shanghai, shares the first SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence which is deposited in GenBank, enabling the development of tests and vaccines. Source