Over the past month, a viral outbreak that started in Wuhan, China has spread throughout the world — giving rise to fears of a global crisis.
The virus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, has remained mysterious, in part because China has worked to control the narrative and flow of information. As the media has made sense of the looming pandemic, different outlets have sometimes provided conflicting information, sometimes within the same day.
To make sense of 2019-nCoV’s spread throughout and beyond China, here’s our distilled timeline the deadly, pneumonia-like disease’s spread.
December 27, 2019: Officials in Wuhan, China announce that 27 residents, mostly stallholders at the city’s Huanan Seafood Market, have fallen ill with a mysterious virus.
January 1, 2020: Chinese state media announces that police have investigated eight people for “spreading rumors” about the virus online.
January 3, 2020: After a week of radio silence and accusations of censorship, Wuhan officials say they’ve identified 44 patients infected with the virus. Five suspected cases emerge in Hong Kong. Wuhan officials rule out the possibility that the virus could be influenza, avian influenza, or a long list of common respiratory diseases.
January 5, 2020: The virus has now spread to 59 people in Wuhan and the number of suspected cases in Hong Kong grows to 21. Experts rule out the possibility that the virus is a resurgence of SARS.
January 10, 2020: A man in Wuhan infected by the virus becomes the first known patient to die from the virus.
January 13, 2020: The virus spreads to Thailand, marking the first confirmed case outside of China.
January 16, 2020: The virus spreads to Japan.
January 17, 2020: A second case in Thailand is confirmed. The World Health Organization (WHO) issues a statement saying little is known about the novel virus — but that more international cases are likely. A second Wuhan resident dies.
January 19, 2020: China now has 198 confirmed cases of the virus, 126 in Wuhan. Chinese President Xi Jinping gives his first public address about the outbreak on national TV. Scientists confirm that human-to-human transmission is possible.
January 20, 2020: South Korea’s first case is confirmed, as is Taiwan’s.
January 21, 2020: The virus officially reaches the U.S. with one confirmed case in Washington State. It also appears in Singapore. China has nearly 300 confirmed cases. Six people have died.
January 22, 2020: China suspends all travel out of Wuhan, effectively placing the city under quarantine. There are nearly 600 confirmed cases worldwide: 444 in Wuhan, 26 in Guangdong, 14 in Beijing, and nine in Shanghai, in addition to the cases outside of China. Hundreds more, including what would be the first in Mexico, are suspected. Preliminary research suggests the virus may have originated in snakes, but some experts contest the finding. Seventeen people have died.
January 23, 2020: A case in Chicago is confirmed. China places three more cities under travel lockdown. The WHO decides it’s too early to declare a global public health emergency. An eighteenth patient dies. Beijing cancels its New Year’s festivals to discourage travel and tourism. The virus reaches Vietnam and Macau.
January 24, 2020: China quarantines eight more cities in the Hubei Province, trapping 35 million residents in their cities. As of press time, 2019-nCoV has killed 26 patients, all in China. Throughout America, 63 unconfirmed cases are under investigation. The virus has spread to Nepal and two more cases in Singapore are confirmed. Late on Friday, France confirmed its first two cases — the first appearance of 2019-nCoV in Europe. Including France, 945 cases have been confirmed in 12 countries.
Charter Member
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote