TRACKING THE VIRUS: SIX MONTHS ON
FEB 2 APR 2
GLOBAL TIMELINE
THE COVID-19 INDIA TIMELINE
DEC 31
China notifies WHO of an outbreak of “pneumonia of unknown causes” in Wuhan
After days of speculation worldwide over whether or not it is a new virus, China pronounces preliminary identification of a novel coronavirus associated with the outbreak
The first draft of the Sars-cov-2 genome is revealed
China’s first confirmed Covid-19 death is reported
The US’S first confirmed case is reported, in Washington state
China declares a lockdown in Wuhan, home to 11 million
The world’s first Covid-19 death outside mainland China occurs, in the Philippines
Sars-cov-2 is shown to be 96% identical to a bat coronavirus called RATG13, offering the first clues to how Covid-19 may have jumped species to infect humans
Italy’s first case is reported, in Lombardy
TRACK DAILY TOLL
“Case counts are not a reliable indicator of the impact of the epidemic, because there are too many variables - number of tests conducted, types of tests, false positives and false negatives, criteria for testing, the element of repeat testing. A fall in daily deaths over 10 consecutive
Asymptomatic carriers strongly regarded as capable of spreading the virus
Brazil reports the first Covid-19 case in Latin America
Genomic analysis strongly supports natural origin of SARS-COV-2
WHO launches solidarity trial of four therapies
Oxford University’s adenovirus Covid-19 vaccine trial enters Phase 1
Global Covid-19 cases pass 1 million; 50,000 have died from complications caused by the virus
The Wuhan lockdown ends
Global Covid-19 death toll crosses 100,000
Antiviral drug remdesivir is shown to reduce virus strength, during animal trials
The number of people infected in the US crosses 1 million
Anthony Fauci of the US’S NIAID announces remdesivir as the new standard of care as it reduces hospitalisation time
Number of samples tested nationwide
TRACK DAILY TOLL crosses 100,000
UK death toll crosses 30,000, the highest in Europe
Italy and France report that some children are developing an inflammation syndrome as a result of Covid-19. Symptoms can range from a fever and rash to cardiovascular and clotting problems
Global cases pass the 5 million mark
Number of deaths stands at 5,000
“Case counts are not a reliable indicator of the impact of the epidemic. There are too many variables - number of tests conducted, false positives and false negatives, the element of repeat testing. A fall in daily deaths over 10 consecutive days is a more stable indicator. But you also need to factor in total number of deaths and deaths per million.” Dr Srinath K Reddy, president,
Public Health Foundation of India
China reports no new infections for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak
US death toll crosses 100,000
Phase 1 of Unlock begins
Death toll crosses 10,000
Regeneron initiates Phase 1 trials of its dual monoclonal antibody cocktail against Sars-cov-2
Dexamethasone becomes the first drug shown to reduce Covid-19 mortality in a clinical trial
The US’S National Institutes of Health halts hydroxychloroquine Covid-19 trial, citing no evidence of clinical benefit
Covid-19 death toll in Brazil crosses 50,000
Cases worldwide now exceed 9.1 million, with over 470,000 deaths
A network of 1,000 labs is established, to step up testing
Cases cross 500,000;
2.1 lakh tests are being done per day
IT’S FAR FROM OVER
Mass gatherings are prohibited
crosses 1 million
Number of cases
India’s first Covid-19 vaccine candidate is approved for human trials
“The critical question all countries will face in the coming months is how to live with this virus. It is the new normal. Most people remain susceptible. The virus still has a lot of room to move. We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives. But the hard reality is, this is not even close to being over.” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general, World Health Organization