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It was exactly one year ago, January 30, 2020, when the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Since then, the Corona Virus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 tremendously devastated the whole world.
Vaccines may be available now but vaccination will take long as the supply is not enough with such high demand.
Timeline
December 31, 2019
A pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, China was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in China on 31 December 2019.
Jan 30, 2020
World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020.
February 11, 2020
World Health Organization (WHO) announced a name for the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, on 11 February 2020.
The New Coronavirus was called nCov19 or nCov2019 for Novel Coronavirus 2019 before it was renamed into COVID-19 for Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Mar 11, 2020
World Health Organization (WHO) announced the new coronavirus disease COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
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Sources:
Pneumonia of unknown cause reported to WHO China Office
31 December 2019
At the close of 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of a pneumonia of unknown cause, detected in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China. According to the authorities, some patients were operating dealers or vendors in the Huanan Seafood market.
Staying in close contact with national authorities, WHO began monitoring the situation and requested further information on the laboratory tests performed and the different diagnoses considered.
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WHO responding to a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan
4 January 2020
WHO announced it would work across its 3 levels – country office, regional office and HQ – to track the situation and share details as they emerged.
#China has reported to WHO a cluster of #pneumonia cases —with no deaths— in Wuhan, Hubei Province ?? . Investigations are underway to identify the cause of this illness.
World Health Organization (Verified Twitter Account)
@WHO
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1213523866703814656
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WHO reports on pneumonia of unknown cause in China
5 January 2020
WHO published its risk assessment and advice and reported on the status of patients and the public health response by national authorities to the cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.
Pneumonia of unknown cause – China
Disease outbreak news
5 January 2020
On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (unknown cause) detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. As of 3 January 2020, a total of 44 patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology have been reported to WHO by the national authorities in China. Of the 44 cases reported, 11 are severely ill, while the remaining 33 patients are in stable condition. According to media reports, the concerned market in Wuhan was closed on 1 January 2020 for environmental sanitation and disinfection.
The causal agent has not yet been identified or confirmed. On 1 January 2020, WHO requested further information from national authorities to assess the risk.
National authorities report that all patients are isolated and receiving treatment in Wuhan medical institutions. The clinical signs and symptoms are mainly fever, with a few patients having difficulty in breathing, and chest radiographs showing invasive lesions of both lungs.
According to the authorities, some patients were operating dealers or vendors in the Huanan Seafood market. Based on the preliminary information from the Chinese investigation team, no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission and no health care worker infections have been reported.
Public Health Response
National authorities have reported the following response measures:
One hundred and twenty-one close contacts have been identified and are under medical observation;
The follow-up of close contacts is ongoing;
Pathogen identification and the tracing of the cause are underway;
Wuhan Municipal Health Commission carried out active case finding, and retrospective investigations have been completed;
Environmental sanitation and further hygiene investigations are under way.
WHO is closely monitoring the situation and is in close contact with national authorities in China.
WHO risk assessment
There is limited information to determine the overall risk of this reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology. The reported link to a wholesale fish and live animal market could indicate an exposure link to animals. The symptoms reported among the patients are common to several respiratory diseases, and pneumonia is common in the winter season; however, the occurrence of 44 cases of pneumonia requiring hospitalization clustered in space and time should be handled prudently.
Wuhan city, with a population of 19 million, is the capital city of Hubei province, with a population of 58 million people. WHO has requested further information on the laboratory tests performed and the differential diagnoses considered.
WHO advice
Based on information provided by national authorities, WHO’s recommendations on public health measures and surveillance of influenza and severe acute respiratory infections still apply.
WHO does not recommend any specific measures for travellers. In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, travellers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share travel history with their healthcare provider.
WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the current information available on this event.
https://www.who.int/csr/don/05-january-2020-pneumonia-of-unkown-cause-china/en/
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WHO issues its first guidance on the novel coronavirus
10 January 2020
Developed with reference to other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, WHO issued a tool for countries to check their ability to detect and respond to a novel coronavirus.
This information is to help with identifying main gaps, assessing risks and planning for additional investigations, response and control actions.
Overview
The main aim of the national capacities review tool is to better understand existing capacities in the area of detection and response to a novel coronavirus (nCoV) that is zoonotic and causes respiratory disease. The tool was developed with other coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, in mind and in consultation with member states. This information will help national authorities to i) identify main gaps ii) perform risk assessments and iii) plan for additional investigations, response and control actions.
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/national-capacities-review-tool-for-a-novelcoronavirus
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First case of novel coronavirus outside of China confirmed
13 January 2020
Officials confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus in Thailand. It was not unexpected that cases of the novel coronavirus would emerge outside of China and reinforces why WHO calls for active monitoring and preparedness in other countries.
WHO statement on novel coronavirus in Thailand
13 January 2020 News release
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with officials in Thailand and China following reports of confirmation of the novel coronavirus in a person in Thailand.
The person was a traveler from Wuhan, China, and was identified by Thai officials on 8 January, and hospitalized that day. The person is recovering from the illness according to Thai officials.
The possibility of cases being identified in other countries was not unexpected, and reinforces why WHO calls for on-going active monitoring and preparedness in other countries. WHO has issued guidance on how to detect and treat persons ill with the new virus.
The genetic sequencing shared by China enables more countries to rapidly diagnose patients.
WHO reiterates that it is essential that investigations continue in China to identify the source of this outbreak and any animal reservoirs or intermediate hosts.
Given developments, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will consult with Emergency Committee members and could call for a meeting of the committee on short notice.
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/13-01-2020-who-statement-on-novel-coronavirus-in-thailand
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Public Health Emergency of International Concern declared
30 January 2020
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the 2019-nCoV outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following a second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened under the International Health Regulations.
Acknowledging that cases have been reported in five WHO regions in one month, the Committee noted that early detection, isolating and treating cases, contact tracing and social distancing measures – in line with the level of risk – can all work to interrupt virus spread.
Statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
30 January 2020 Statement Geneva, Switzerland
The second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 in the People’s Republic of China, with exportations to other countries, took place on Thursday, 30 January 2020, from 13:30 to 18:35 Geneva time (CEST). The Committee’s role is to give advice to the Director-General, who makes the final decision on the determination of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Committee also provides public health advice or suggests formal Temporary Recommendations as appropriate.
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Novel coronavirus disease named COVID-19
11 February 2020
Guidelines mandated that the name of the disease could not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people. It also needed to relate to the disease and be pronounceable. This choice will help guard against the use of other names that might be inaccurate or stigmatizing.
? BREAKING ?
"We now have a name for the #2019nCoV disease:
COVID-19.
I’ll spell it: C-O-V-I-D hyphen one nine – COVID-19"
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@DrTedros
#COVID19
World Health Organization (Verified Twitter Account)
@WHO
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1227248333871173632
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WHO characterizes COVID-19 as a pandemic
11 March 2020
Speaking at the COVID-19 media briefing, the WHO Director-General said:
"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.
We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.
Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.
Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.
We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.
And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled, at the same time."
? BREAKING ?
"We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic"-
@DrTedros
#coronavirus
World Health Organization (Verified Twitter Account)
@WHO
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1237777021742338049
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Source:
World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
Timeline COVID-19
