Covid-19 through the eyes of the world

With the oncoming news of the Covid-19 vaccination, the world almost took a sigh of relief amidst everything that has been going on. However, as the new variants of the coronavirus took the world by storm yet again, the death toll has crossed 2 million globally. Even though 47 countries have started the vaccination drive we cannot but help wonder will this pandemic ever come to an end or not. And, even if it does will the damage be too deep to recover from. 

As the vaccination started globally we took a minute to sit down and look at what has been known to date about the virus and how far medicine has advanced in the battle against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

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January

• The first public announcement was made by the Chinese authorities at the beginning of the second week of January 2020 that a new form of the virus was rampant in the city of Wuhan.

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• On January 13, 2020, officials confirmed the first Covid-19 case outside of China.

• China made the unprecedented move to put Wuhan and its 11 million inhabitants under quarantine on January 23.

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February

• The Covid-19 death toll exceeds that of the 17-year-old outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with 908 confirmed fatalities in China in the last month, compared to 774 fatalities in the SARS crisis on February 9.

• WHO named the novel coronavirus disease Covid-19 on 11 February 2020.

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March

• On March 7, 2020  devastatingly 100 000 cases of Covid-19 were recorded. 

• On March 11, Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and stay-at-home orders were rolled out. Epidemiologists, foreseeing an overwhelmed health care system, advised all, including young people without symptoms who can still spread the virus, to practice social distancing to flatten the curve.

• One-fifth of all students are out of school worldwide; New York City declares a state of emergency and NBA cancels season within March 7-March 13.

• WHO mandates Europe as the epicenter of the pandemic on March 13, 2020. 

• China reports no new Coronavirus cases for its Third Consecutive Day and Italy becomes the country with the highest death-toll by March 21.

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus on March 27.

• For the first time since World War II, Japan postponed the 2020 Summer Olympics and Wimbledon Tennis Tournament cancelled as well.

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April

• On April 02 the global coronavirus cases passed the one million mark and deaths exceeded 50,000.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended on April 3 that individuals begin to wear face coverings in public.

• The United States records over 50,000 deaths on April 24 and over one million coronavirus cases on April 28.

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May

• Glimmers of optimism appeared in May despite so much bad news, with modestly promising results from early trials of the antiviral drug Remdesivir, although the drug was not yet FDA-approved and difficult to come by.

• President Donald Trump announces he is taking hydroxychloroquine on May 18

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June

• New Zealand removes all restrictions on lockdown and declares the nation virus-free. Despite concerns of a surge, India lifts lockdown restrictions on June 8.

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• President Trump issued immigration restrictions to the United States, suspending certain H1-B, H2-B, and H-4 visas, citing pandemic fears on June 22.

• For the first time, Muslim people have been barred from this rite in modern times as Hajj pilgrims are prohibited by Saudi Arabia on June 23.

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July

• On July 9 — WHO Announces Covid-19 Can Be Airborne

• A positive immune response has been demonstrated by Moderna, the first potential coronavirus vaccine tested in humans on July 14

• Russian hackers attacked academic institutions and laboratories working on coronavirus vaccine studies, US, British, and Canadian officials said on July 16.

• The FDA issues its first Covid-19 pool research emergency use permit on July 18.

• North Korea reports its first Covid-19 case and locks down Kaesong, a city near its border for a suspected case of Covid-19 on July 25.

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August

• Moderna negotiates an agreement with the Trump administration to provide the United States with 100 million doses of its Covid-19 experimental vaccine on August 10

• Russia becomes the first nation to authorize a Covid-19 vaccine dubbed 'Sputnik V.' Scientists around the world oppose the vaccine because of safety concerns on August 11

• The first case of Covid-19 reinfection reported in Hong Kong on August 24

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September

• India reports over 83,000 new Covid-19 cases on September 3.

• One research found "strong immune response." was developed by Russia's Covid-19 vaccine.

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October

• US President Donald J Trump tests Covid-19 positive October 1 and is flown to Walter Reed hospital to receive treatment for the coronavirus and First Lady, Melania Trump, test positive for Covid-19 as well.

• A $ 1.8 trillion Covid-19 stimulus plan is being planned by the White House on October 9. 

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November

• The world passed 50 million coronavirus cases on November 8.

• Pfizer and BioNTech say that interim results indicate that their vaccine is more than 94% effective on November 18.

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December

• The United Kingdom grants the world's first emergency use authorization to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate on December 2 and  begins its nationwide coronavirus immunization campaign on December 8.

• The United Arab Emirates became the first country to authorize the Sinopharm candidate for a Chinese coronavirus vaccine.

• The United States grants its first emergency use authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine to the Pfizer-BioNTech candidate on December 10

• After participants returned false-positive HIV test results, Australia terminated its purchasing agreement for the University of Queensland's Covid-19 vaccine on December 10

• On December 17, French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for Covid-19.

• U.S. Congressional representatives and Vice President Mike Pence receives doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 18.

• U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 21.

• EU approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Belarus registers Sputnik V vaccine and Brazil completes Phase III SinoVac trials between December 21-28.

• The United Kingdom authorizes the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on December 30.

January 2021

• India authorises the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on January 2, 2021.

• The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been confirmed to be effective against mutations in new variants of COVID-19 on January 7.

• The world surpasses 2 million COVID-19 deaths on January 15.