COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic

Animated map of confirmed 2019-nCoV cases spreading from 12 January 2020.
Date	1 December 2019–ongoing (4 years, 11 months and 1 week)
Location	First identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China
Casualties
As of 3 February 2020 Confirmed cases: 17,486 Deaths: 362 Affected countries: 27 Animation showing the spread of confirmed 2019-nCoV cases since 24 January (high resolution)

A new coronavirus, designated 2019-nCoV, was identified in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei, after people developed pneumonia without a clear cause, and for which existing treatments were not effective. The virus has shown evidence of human-to-human transmission, with the number of cases quickly climbing into the thousands by late January 2020 and several countries across Europe, North America and especially the Asia-Pacific reporting cases. Its incubation period (time from exposure to onset of symptoms) ranges from 2 to 14 days, but there is evidence that it may be contagious during this period and possibly also for several days after recovery. Symptoms include fever, coughing and breathing difficulties, and it can be fatal.

As of 3 February 2020, approximately 17,486 cases have been confirmed, including in every province-level division of China. The first confirmed death occurred on 9 January and since then, as of 3 February 2020, 362 deaths have been confirmed. A larger number of people may have been infected, but not detected (especially mild cases). The first local transmission of the virus outside China occurred in Vietnam from a father to his son, whereas the first local transmission not involving family occurred in Germany, on 22 January, when a German man contracted the disease from a Chinese business visitor at a meeting near Munich. The first death outside China was reported in the Philippines, where a 44-year-old Chinese male citizen confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza B died on 1 February.

In response, Chinese cities with a combined population of over 57 million people, comprising Wuhan and 15 other cities in the surrounding Hubei province, were placed on full or partial lockdown, involving the termination of all urban public transport and outward transport by train, air and long-distance buses. Many New Year events and tourist attractions have been closed to prevent mass gatherings, including the Forbidden City in Beijing and traditional temple fairs. Hong Kong also raised its infectious disease response level to the highest level and declared an emergency, closing its schools until March and cancelling its New Year celebrations.

A number of countries have issued warnings against travel to Wuhan and Hubei. Travellers who have visited Mainland China have been asked to monitor their health for at least two weeks and contact their healthcare provider to report any symptoms of the virus. Anyone who suspects that they are carrying the virus are advised to wear a protective mask and seek medical advice by calling a doctor rather than directly visiting a clinic in person. The travel sector has been providing refunds and no-fee cancellations for reservations in China or by people from China. Airports and train stations have implemented temperature checks, health declarations and information signage in an attempt to identify carriers of the virus.

The outbreak has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), explaining that its decision was based on the possible effects that the pathogen could have if it spreads to countries with weaker healthcare infrastructures. The declaration makes it the sixth time that the measure has been invoked since the H1N1 pandemic in 2009.

Background

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei and is the seventh-largest city in China, with a population of more than 11 million people. It has been a major transportation hub of the country throughout the ages, long known as the "Nine Provinces' Thoroughfare" (九省通衢), and the Wuhan Railway Hub is one of the four most important railway hubs in China. It is approximately 1,100 km (700 miles) south of Beijing, 800 km (500 miles) west of Shanghai, and 970 km (600 miles) north of Hong Kong. Direct flights from Wuhan connect it to major international cities in Europe and North America.

In Wuhan, during December 2019, a cluster of cases displaying the symptoms of a "pneumonia of unknown cause" was linked to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which had a thousand stalls selling fish, chickens, pheasants, bats, marmots, venomous snakes, spotted deer, and other wild animals (ye wei, bushmeat). The immediate hypothesis was that this was a novel coronavirus from an animal source (a zoonosis).

Coronaviruses mainly circulate among other animals but have been known to evolve and infect humans as in the cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) together with four further coronaviruses that cause mild respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold. All coronaviruses known to infect humans have been shown to spread between people. Transmission of coronaviruses is primarily thought to occur among close contacts via respiratory droplets generated by sneezing and coughing.

Epidemiology

COVID-19 cases in Mainland China  ()
     Deaths        Recoveries        Tested        Clinically diagnosed (C.D.)        Tested or C.D.

20192019202020202021202120222022

DecDec

JanJanFebFebMarMarAprAprMayMayJunJunJulJulAugAugSepSepOctOctNovNovDecDec

JanJanFebFebMarMarAprAprMayMayJunJunJulJulAugAugSepSepOctOctNovNovDecDec

JanJan

Last 15 daysLast 15 days

Date			Number of cases (excluding C.D.)	Number of cases (including C.D.)
2019-12-31				27(n.a.)
⋮				27(=)
2020-01-03				44(+63%)
2020-01-04				44(=)
2020-01-05				59(+34%)
⋮				59(=)
2020-01-10			41(n.a.)
2020-01-11			41(=)
2020-01-12			41(=)
⋮			41(=)
2020-01-15			41(=)
2020-01-16			45(+9.8%)
2020-01-17			62(+38%)
2020-01-18			121(+95%)
2020-01-19			198(+64%)
2020-01-20			291(+47%)
2020-01-21			440(+51%)
2020-01-22			571(+30%)
2020-01-23			830(+45%)
2020-01-24			1,287(+55%)
2020-01-25			1,975(+53%)
2020-01-26			2,744(+39%)
2020-01-27			4,515(+65%)
2020-01-28			5,974(+32%)
2020-01-29			7,711(+29%)
2020-01-30			9,692(+26%)
2020-01-31			11,791(+22%)
2020-02-01			14,380(+22%)
2020-02-02			17,205(+20%)
2020-02-03			20,438(+19%)
2020-02-04			24,324(+19%)
2020-02-05			28,018(+15%)
2020-02-06			31,161(+11%)
2020-02-07			34,546(+11%)
2020-02-08			37,198(+7.7%)
2020-02-09			40,171(+8%)
2020-02-10			42,638(+6.1%)	48,315(n.a.)
2020-02-11			44,653(+4.7%)	55,220(+14%)
2020-02-12			46,472(+4.1%)	58,761(+6.4%)
2020-02-13			48,467(+4.3%)	63,851(+8.7%)
2020-02-14			49,970(+3.1%)	66,492(+4.1%)
2020-02-15			51,091(+2.2%)	68,500(+3.0%)
2020-02-16				70,548(+3.0%)
2020-02-17				72,436(+2.7%)
2020-02-18				74,185(+2.4%)
2020-02-19				75,002(+1.1%)
2020-02-20				75,891(+1.2%)
2020-02-21				76,288(+0.52%)
2020-02-22				76,936(+0.85%)
2020-02-23				77,150(+0.28%)
2020-02-24				77,658(+0.66%)
2020-02-25				78,064(+0.52%)
2020-02-26				78,497(+0.55%)
2020-02-27				78,824(+0.42%)
2020-02-28				79,251(+0.54%)
2020-02-29				79,824(+0.72%)
2020-03-01				80,026(+0.25%)
2020-03-02				80,151(+0.16%)
2020-03-03				80,270(+0.15%)
2020-03-04				80,409(+0.17%)
2020-03-05				80,552(+0.18%)
2020-03-06				80,651(+0.12%)
2020-03-07				80,695(+0.05%)
2020-03-08				80,735(+0.05%)
2020-03-09				80,754(+0.02%)
2020-03-10				80,778(+0.03%)
2020-03-11				80,793(+0.02%)
2020-03-12				80,813(+0.02%)
2020-03-13				80,824(+0.01%)
2020-03-14				80,844(+0.02%)
2020-03-15				80,860(+0.02%)
2020-03-16				80,881(+0.03%)
2020-03-17				80,894(+0.02%)
2020-03-18				80,928(+0.04%)
2020-03-19				80,967(+0.05%)
2020-03-20				81,008(+0.05%)
2020-03-21				81,054(+0.06%)
2020-03-22				81,093(+0.05%)
2020-03-23				81,171(+0.1%)
2020-03-24				81,218(+0.06%)
2020-03-25				81,285(+0.08%)
2020-03-26				81,340(+0.07%)
2020-03-27				81,394(+0.07%)
2020-03-28				81,439(+0.06%)
2020-03-29				81,470(+0.04%)
2020-03-30				81,518(+0.06%)
2020-03-31				81,554(+0.04%)
2020-04-01				81,589(+0.04%)
2020-04-02				81,620(+0.04%)
2020-04-03				81,639(+0.02%)
2020-04-04				81,669(+0.04%)
2020-04-05				81,708(+0.05%)
2020-04-06				81,740(+0.04%)
2020-04-07				81,802(+0.08%)
2020-04-08				81,865(+0.08%)
2020-04-09				81,907(+0.05%)
2020-04-10				81,953(+0.06%)
2020-04-11				82,052(+0.12%)
2020-04-12				82,160(+0.13%)
2020-04-13				82,249(+0.11%)
2020-04-14				82,295(+0.06%)
2020-04-15				82,341(+0.06%)
2020-04-16				82,692(+0.43%)
2020-04-17				82,719(+0.03%)
2020-04-18				82,735(+0.02%)
2020-04-19				82,747(+0.01%)
2020-04-20				82,758(+0.01%)
2020-04-21				82,788(+0.04%)
2020-04-22				82,798(+0.01%)
2020-04-23				82,804(+0.01%)
2020-04-24				82,816(+0.01%)
2020-04-25				82,827(+0.01%)
2020-04-26				82,830(=)
2020-04-27				82,836(+0.01%)
2020-04-28				82,858(+0.03%)
2020-04-29				82,862(=)
2020-04-30				82,874(+0.01%)
2020-05-01				82,875(=)
2020-05-02				82,877(=)
2020-05-03				82,880(=)
2020-05-04				82,881(=)
2020-05-05				82,883(=)
2020-05-06				82,885(=)
2020-05-07				82,886(=)
2020-05-08				82,887(=)
2020-05-09				82,901(+0.02%)
2020-05-10				82,918(+0.02%)
2020-05-11				82,919(=)
2020-05-12				82,926(+0.01%)
2020-05-13				82,929(=)
2020-05-14				82,933(=)
2020-05-15				82,941(+0.01%)
2020-05-16				82,947(+0.01%)
2020-05-17				82,954(+0.01%)
2020-05-18				82,960(+0.01%)
2020-05-19				82,965(+0.01%)
2020-05-20				82,967(=)
2020-05-21				82,971(=)
2020-05-22				82,971(=)
2020-05-23				82,974(=)
2020-05-24				82,985(+0.01%)
2020-05-25				82,992(+0.01%)
2020-05-26				82,993(=)
2020-05-27				82,995(=)
2020-05-28				82,995(=)
2020-05-29				82,999(=)
2020-05-30				83,001(=)
2020-05-31				83,017(+0.02%)
2020-06-01				83,022(+0.01%)
2020-06-02				83,021(=)
2020-06-03				83,022(=)
2020-06-04				83,027(+0.01%)
2020-06-05				83,030(=)
2020-06-06				83,036(+0.01%)
2020-06-07				83,040(=)
2020-06-08				83,043(=)
2020-06-09				83,046(=)
2020-06-10				83,057(+0.01%)
2020-06-11				83,064(+0.01%)
2020-06-12				83,075(+0.01%)
2020-06-13				83,132(+0.07%)
2020-06-14				83,181(+0.06%)
2020-06-15				83,221(+0.05%)
2020-06-16				83,265(+0.05%)
2020-06-17				83,293(+0.03%)
2020-06-18				83,325(+0.04%)
2020-06-19				83,352(+0.03%)
2020-06-20				83,378(+0.03%)
2020-06-21				83,396(+0.02%)
2020-06-22				83,418(+0.03%)
2020-06-23				83,430(+0.01%)
2020-06-24				83,449(+0.02%)
2020-06-25				83,462(+0.02%)
2020-06-26				83,483(+0.03%)
2020-06-27				83,500(+0.02%)
2020-06-28				83,512(+0.01%)
2020-06-29				83,531(+0.02%)
2020-06-30				83,534(=)
2020-07-01				83,537(=)
2020-07-02				83,542(+0.01%)
2020-07-03				83,545(=)
2020-07-04				83,553(+0.01%)
2020-07-05				83,557(=)
2020-07-06				83,565(+0.01%)
2020-07-07				83,572(+0.01%)
2020-07-08				83,581(+0.01%)
2020-07-09				83,585(=)
2020-07-10				83,587(=)
2020-07-11				83,594(+0.01%)
2020-07-12				83,602(+0.01%)
2020-07-13				83,605(=)
2020-07-14				83,611(+0.01%)
2020-07-15				83,612(=)
2020-07-16				83,622(+0.01%)
2020-07-17				83,644(+0.03%)
2020-07-18				83,660(+0.02%)
2020-07-19				83,682(+0.03%)
2020-07-20				83,693(+0.01%)
2020-07-21				83,707(+0.02%)
2020-07-22				83,729(+0.03%)
2020-07-23				83,750(+0.03%)
2020-07-24				83,784(+0.04%)
2020-07-25				83,830(+0.05%)
2020-07-26				83,891(+0.07%)
2020-07-27				83,959(+0.08%)
2020-07-28				84,060(+0.12%)
2020-07-29				84,165(+0.12%)
2020-07-30				84,292(+0.15%)
2020-07-31				84,337(+0.05%)
2020-08-01				84,385(+0.06%)
2020-08-02				84,428(+0.05%)
2020-08-03				84,464(+0.04%)
2020-08-04				84,491(+0.03%)
2020-08-05				84,528(+0.04%)
2020-08-06				84,565(+0.04%)
2020-08-07				84,596(+0.04%)
2020-08-08				84,619(+0.03%)
2020-08-09				84,668(+0.06%)
2020-08-10				84,712(+0.05%)
2020-08-11				84,737(+0.03%)
2020-08-12				84,756(+0.02%)
2020-08-13				84,786(+0.04%)
2020-08-14				84,808(+0.03%)
2020-08-15				84,827(+0.02%)
2020-08-16				84,849(+0.03%)
2020-08-17				84,871(+0.03%)
2020-08-18				84,888(+0.02%)
2020-08-19				84,895(+0.01%)
2020-08-20				84,917(+0.03%)
2020-08-21				84,939(+0.03%)
2020-08-22				84,951(+0.01%)
2020-08-23				84,967(+0.02%)
2020-08-24				84,981(+0.02%)
2020-08-25				84,996(+0.02%)
2020-08-26				85,004(+0.01%)
2020-08-27				85,013(+0.01%)
2020-08-28				85,022(+0.01%)
2020-08-29				85,031(+0.01%)
2020-08-30				85,048(+0.02%)
2020-08-31				85,058(+0.01%)
2020-09-01				85,066(+0.01%)
2020-09-02				85,077(+0.01%)
2020-09-03				85,102(+0.03%)
2020-09-04				85,112(+0.01%)
2020-09-05				85,122(+0.01%)
2020-09-06				85,134(+0.01%)
2020-09-07				85,144(+0.01%)
2020-09-08				85,146(=)
2020-09-09				85,153(+0.01%)
2020-09-10				85,168(+0.02%)
2020-09-11				85,174(+0.01%)
2020-09-12				85,184(+0.01%)
2020-09-13				85,194(+0.01%)
2020-09-14				85,202(+0.01%)
2020-09-15				85,214(+0.01%)
2020-09-16				85,223(+0.01%)
2020-09-17				85,255(+0.04%)
2020-09-18				85,269(+0.02%)
2020-09-19				85,279(+0.01%)
2020-09-20				85,291(+0.01%)
2020-09-21				85,297(+0.01%)
2020-09-22				85,307(+0.01%)
2020-09-23				85,314(+0.01%)
2020-09-24				85,322(+0.01%)
2020-09-25				85,337(+0.02%)
2020-09-26				85,351(+0.02%)
2020-09-27				85,372(+0.02%)
2020-09-28				85,384(+0.01%)
2020-09-29				85,403(+0.02%)
2020-09-30				85,414(+0.01%)
2020-10-01				85,424(+0.01%)
2020-10-02				85,434(+0.01%)
2020-10-03				85,450(+0.02%)
2020-10-04				85,470(+0.02%)
2020-10-05				85,482(+0.01%)
2020-10-06				85,489(+0.01%)
2020-10-07				85,500(+0.01%)
2020-10-08				85,521(+0.02%)
2020-10-09				85,536(+0.02%)
2020-10-10				85,557(+0.02%)
2020-10-11				85,578(+0.02%)
2020-10-12				85,591(+0.02%)
2020-10-13				85,611(+0.02%)
2020-10-14				85,622(+0.01%)
2020-10-15				85,646(+0.03%)
2020-10-16				85,659(+0.02%)
2020-10-17				85,672(+0.02%)
2020-10-18				85,685(+0.02%)
2020-10-19				85,704(+0.02%)
2020-10-20				85,715(+0.01%)
2020-10-21				85,729(+0.02%)
2020-10-22				85,747(+0.02%)
2020-10-23				85,775(+0.03%)
2020-10-24				85,790(+0.02%)
2020-10-25				85,810(+0.02%)
2020-10-26				85,826(+0.02%)
2020-10-27				85,868(+0.05%)
2020-10-28				85,915(+0.05%)
2020-10-29				85,940(+0.03%)
2020-10-30				85,973(+0.04%)
2020-10-31				85,997(+0.03%)
2020-11-01				86,021(+0.03%)
2020-11-02				86,070(+0.06%)
2020-11-03				86,087(+0.02%)
2020-11-04				86,115(+0.03%)
2020-11-05				86,151(+0.04%)
2020-11-06				86,184(+0.04%)
2020-11-07				86,212(+0.03%)
2020-11-08				86,245(+0.04%)
2020-11-09				86,267(+0.03%)
2020-11-10				86,284(+0.02%)
2020-11-11				86,299(+0.02%)
2020-11-12				86,307(+0.01%)
2020-11-13				86,325(+0.02%)
2020-11-14				86,338(+0.02%)
2020-11-15				86,346(+0.01%)
2020-11-16				86,361(+0.02%)
2020-11-17				86,369(+0.01%)
2020-11-18				86,381(+0.01%)
2020-11-19				86,398(+0.02%)
2020-11-20				86,414(+0.02%)
2020-11-21				86,431(+0.02%)
2020-11-22				86,442(+0.01%)
2020-11-23				86,464(+0.03%)
2020-11-24				86,469(+0.01%)
2020-11-25				86,490(+0.02%)
2020-11-26				86,495(+0.01%)
2020-11-27				86,501(+0.01%)
2020-11-28				86,512(+0.01%)
2020-11-29				86,530(+0.02%)
2020-11-30				86,542(+0.01%)
2020-12-01				86,551(+0.01%)
2020-12-02				86,567(+0.02%)
2020-12-03				86,584(+0.02%)
2020-12-04				86,601(+0.02%)
2020-12-05				86,619(+0.02%)
2020-12-06				86,634(+0.02%)
2020-12-07				86,646(+0.01%)
2020-12-08				86,661(+0.02%)
2020-12-09				86,673(+0.01%)
2020-12-10				86,688(+0.02%)
2020-12-11				86,701(+0.01%)
2020-12-12				86,725(+0.03%)
2020-12-13				86,741(+0.02%)
2020-12-14				86,758(+0.02%)
2020-12-15				86,770(+0.01%)
2020-12-16				86,777(+0.01%)
2020-12-17				86,789(+0.01%)
2020-12-18				86,806(+0.02%)
2020-12-19				86,829(+0.03%)
2020-12-20				86,852(+0.03%)
2020-12-21				86,867(+0.02%)
2020-12-22				86,882(+0.02%)
2020-12-23				86,899(+0.02%)
2020-12-24				86,913(+0.02%)
2020-12-25				86,933(+0.02%)
2020-12-26				86,955(+0.03%)
2020-12-27				86,976(+0.02%)
2020-12-28				87,003(+0.03%)
2020-12-29				87,027(+0.03%)
2020-12-30				87,052(+0.03%)
2020-12-31				87,071(+0.02%)
2021-01-01				87,093(+0.03%)
2021-01-02				87,117(+0.03%)
2021-01-03				87,150(+0.04%)
2021-01-04				87,183(+0.04%)
2021-01-05				87,215(+0.04%)
2021-01-06				87,278(+0.07%)
2021-01-07				87,331(+0.06%)
2021-01-08				87,364(+0.04%)
2021-01-09				87,433(+0.08%)
2021-01-10				87,536(+0.12%)
2021-01-11				87,591(+0.06%)
2021-01-12				87,706(+0.13%)
2021-01-13				87,844(+0.16%)
2021-01-14				87,988(+0.16%)
2021-01-15				88,118(+0.15%)
2021-01-16				88,227(+0.12%)
2021-01-17				88,336(+0.12%)
2021-01-18				88,454(+0.13%)
2021-01-19				88,557(+0.12%)
2021-01-20				88,701(+0.16%)
2021-01-21				88,804(+0.12%)
2021-01-22				88,911(+0.12%)
2021-01-23				88,991(+0.09%)
2021-01-24				89,115(+0.14%)
2021-01-25				89,197(+0.09%)
2021-01-26				89,272(+0.08%)
2021-01-27				89,326(+0.06%)
2021-01-28				89,378(+0.06%)
2021-01-29				89,430(+0.06%)
2021-01-30				89,522(+0.1%)
2021-01-31				89,564(+0.05%)
2021-02-01				89,594(+0.03%)
2021-02-02				89,619(+0.03%)
2021-02-03				89,649(+0.03%)
2021-02-04				89,669(+0.02%)
2021-02-05				89,681(+0.01%)
2021-02-06				89,692(+0.01%)
2021-02-07				89,706(+0.02%)
2021-02-08				89,720(+0.02%)
2021-02-09				89,734(+0.02%)
2021-02-10				89,736(=)
2021-02-11				89,748(+0.01%)
2021-02-12				89,756(+0.01%)
2021-02-13				89,763(+0.01%)
2021-02-14				89,772(+0.01%)
2021-02-15				89,788(+0.02%)
2021-02-16				89,795(+0.01%)
2021-02-17				89,806(+0.01%)
2021-02-18				89,816(+0.01%)
2021-02-19				89,824(+0.01%)
2021-02-20				89,831(+0.01%)
2021-02-21				89,842(+0.01%)
2021-02-22				89,852(+0.01%)
2021-02-23				89,864(+0.01%)
2021-02-24				89,871(+0.01%)
2021-02-25				89,877(+0.01%)
2021-02-26				89,887(+0.01%)
2021-02-27				89,893(+0.01%)
2021-02-28				89,912(+0.02%)
2021-03-01				89,923(+0.01%)
2021-03-02				89,933(+0.01%)
2021-03-03				89,943(+0.01%)
2021-03-04				89,952(+0.01%)
2021-03-05				89,962(+0.01%)
2021-03-06				89,975(+0.01%)
2021-03-07				89,994(+0.02%)
2021-03-08				90,002(+0.01%)
2021-03-09				90,007(+0.01%)
2021-03-10				90,018(+0.01%)
2021-03-11				90,027(+0.01%)
2021-03-12				90,034(+0.01%)
2021-03-13				90,044(+0.01%)
2021-03-14				90,049(+0.01%)
2021-03-15				90,062(+0.01%)
2021-03-16				90,066(=)
2021-03-17				90,072(+0.01%)
2021-03-18				90,083(+0.01%)
2021-03-19				90,087(=)
2021-03-20				90,099(+0.01%)
2021-03-21				90,106(+0.01%)
2021-03-22				90,115(+0.01%)
2021-03-23				90,125(+0.01%)
2021-03-24				90,136(+0.01%)
2021-03-25				90,147(+0.01%)
2021-03-26				90,159(+0.01%)
2021-03-27				90,167(+0.01%)
2021-03-28				90,182(+0.02%)
2021-03-29				90,190(+0.01%)
2021-03-30				90,201(+0.01%)
2021-03-31				90,217(+0.02%)
2021-04-01				90,226(+0.01%)
2021-04-02				90,252(+0.03%)
2021-04-03				90,273(+0.02%)
2021-04-04				90,305(+0.04%)
2021-04-05				90,329(+0.03%)
2021-04-06				90,341(+0.01%)
2021-04-07				90,365(+0.03%)
2021-04-08				90,386(+0.02%)
2021-04-09				90,400(+0.02%)
2021-04-10				90,410(+0.01%)
2021-04-11				90,426(+0.02%)
2021-04-12				90,435(+0.01%)
2021-04-13				90,447(+0.01%)
2021-04-14				90,457(+0.01%)
2021-04-15				90,468(+0.01%)
2021-04-16				90,483(+0.02%)
2021-04-17				90,499(+0.02%)
2021-04-18				90,510(+0.01%)
2021-04-19				90,520(+0.01%)
2021-04-20				90,541(+0.02%)
2021-04-21				90,547(+0.01%)
2021-04-22				90,566(+0.02%)
2021-04-23				90,575(+0.01%)
2021-04-24				90,588(+0.01%)
2021-04-25				90,599(+0.01%)
2021-04-26				90,610(+0.01%)
2021-04-27				90,622(+0.01%)
2021-04-28				90,642(+0.02%)
2021-04-29				90,655(+0.01%)
2021-04-30				90,671(+0.02%)
2021-05-01				90,686(+0.02%)
2021-05-02				90,697(+0.01%)
2021-05-03				90,714(+0.02%)
2021-05-04				90,721(+0.01%)
2021-05-05				90,726(+0.01%)
2021-05-06				90,739(+0.01%)
2021-05-07				90,746(+0.01%)
2021-05-08				90,758(+0.01%)
2021-05-09				90,769(+0.01%)
2021-05-10				90,783(+0.02%)
2021-05-11				90,799(+0.02%)
2021-05-12				90,808(+0.01%)
2021-05-13				90,815(+0.01%)
2021-05-14				90,829(+0.02%)
2021-05-15				90,847(+0.02%)
2021-05-16				90,872(+0.03%)
2021-05-17				90,894(+0.02%)
2021-05-18				90,908(+0.02%)
2021-05-19				90,920(+0.01%)
2021-05-20				90,944(+0.03%)
2021-05-21				90,954(+0.01%)
2021-05-22				90,973(+0.02%)
2021-05-23				90,991(+0.02%)
2021-05-24				91,006(+0.02%)
2021-05-25				91,019(+0.01%)
2021-05-26				91,038(+0.02%)
2021-05-27				91,045(+0.01%)
2021-05-28				91,061(+0.02%)
2021-05-29				91,072(+0.01%)
2021-05-30				91,099(+0.03%)
2021-05-31				91,122(+0.03%)
2021-06-01				91,146(+0.03%)
2021-06-02				91,170(+0.03%)
2021-06-03				91,194(+0.03%)
2021-06-04				91,218(+0.03%)
2021-06-05				91,248(+0.03%)
2021-06-06				91,267(+0.02%)
2021-06-07				91,300(+0.04%)
2021-06-08				91,316(+0.02%)
2021-06-09				91,337(+0.02%)
2021-06-10				91,359(+0.02%)
2021-06-11				91,394(+0.04%)
2021-06-12				91,428(+0.04%)
2021-06-13				91,451(+0.03%)
2021-06-14				91,471(+0.02%)
2021-06-15				91,492(+0.02%)
2021-06-16				91,511(+0.02%)
2021-06-17				91,534(+0.03%)
2021-06-18				91,564(+0.03%)
2021-06-19				91,587(+0.03%)
2021-06-20				91,604(+0.02%)
2021-06-21				91,629(+0.03%)
2021-06-22				91,653(+0.03%)
2021-06-23				91,669(+0.02%)
2021-06-24				91,693(+0.03%)
2021-06-25				91,718(+0.03%)
2021-06-26				91,732(+0.02%)
2021-06-27				91,753(+0.02%)
2021-06-28				91,771(+0.02%)
2021-06-29				91,780(+0.01%)
2021-06-30				91,792(+0.01%)
2021-07-01				91,810(+0.02%)
2021-07-02				91,833(+0.03%)
2021-07-03				91,847(+0.02%)
2021-07-04				91,869(+0.02%)
2021-07-05				91,892(+0.03%)
2021-07-06				91,949(+0.06%)
2021-07-07				91,966(+0.02%)
2021-07-08				91,989(+0.03%)
2021-07-09				92,015(+0.03%)
2021-07-10				92,039(+0.03%)
2021-07-11				92,066(+0.03%)
2021-07-12				92,095(+0.03%)
2021-07-13				92,119(+0.03%)
2021-07-14				92,147(+0.03%)
2021-07-15				92,183(+0.04%)
2021-07-16				92,213(+0.03%)
2021-07-17				92,246(+0.04%)
2021-07-18				92,277(+0.03%)
2021-07-19				92,342(+0.07%)
2021-07-20				92,364(+0.02%)
2021-07-21				92,414(+0.05%)
2021-07-22				92,462(+0.05%)
2021-07-23				92,497(+0.04%)
2021-07-24				92,529(+0.03%)
2021-07-25				92,605(+0.08%)
2021-07-26				92,676(+0.08%)
2021-07-27				92,762(+0.09%)
2021-07-28				92,811(+0.05%)
2021-07-29				92,875(+0.07%)
2021-07-30				92,930(+0.06%)
2021-07-31				93,005(+0.08%)
2021-08-01				93,103(+0.11%)
2021-08-02				93,193(+0.1%)
2021-08-03				93,289(+0.1%)
2021-08-04				93,374(+0.09%)
2021-08-05				93,498(+0.13%)
2021-08-06				93,605(+0.11%)
2021-08-07				93,701(+0.1%)
2021-08-08				93,826(+0.13%)
2021-08-09				93,969(+0.15%)
2021-08-10				94,080(+0.12%)
2021-08-11				94,161(+0.09%)
2021-08-12				94,260(+0.11%)
2021-08-13				94,326(+0.07%)
2021-08-14				94,379(+0.06%)
2021-08-15				94,430(+0.05%)
2021-08-16				94,472(+0.04%)
2021-08-17				94,500(+0.03%)
2021-08-18				94,546(+0.05%)
2021-08-19				94,579(+0.03%)
2021-08-20				94,599(+0.02%)
2021-08-21				94,631(+0.03%)
2021-08-22				94,652(+0.02%)
2021-08-23				94,687(+0.04%)
2021-08-24				94,707(+0.02%)
2021-08-25				94,733(+0.03%)
2021-08-26				94,765(+0.03%)
2021-08-27				94,786(+0.02%)
2021-08-28				94,819(+0.03%)
2021-08-29				94,842(+0.02%)
2021-08-30				94,879(+0.04%)
2021-08-31				94,898(+0.02%)
2021-09-01				94,926(+0.03%)
2021-09-02				94,954(+0.03%)
2021-09-03				94,982(+0.03%)
2021-09-04				95,010(+0.03%)
2021-09-05				95,028(+0.02%)
2021-09-06				95,064(+0.04%)
2021-09-07				95,083(+0.02%)
2021-09-08				95,111(+0.03%)
2021-09-09				95,128(+0.02%)
2021-09-10				95,153(+0.03%)
2021-09-11				95,199(+0.05%)
2021-09-12				95,248(+0.05%)
2021-09-13				95,340(+0.1%)
2021-09-14				95,413(+0.08%)
2021-09-15				95,493(+0.08%)
2021-09-16				95,577(+0.09%)
2021-09-17				95,623(+0.05%)
2021-09-18				95,689(+0.07%)
2021-09-19				95,738(+0.05%)
2021-09-20				95,810(+0.08%)
2021-09-21				95,851(+0.04%)
2021-09-22				95,894(+0.04%)
2021-09-23				95,948(+0.06%)
2021-09-24				95,986(+0.04%)
2021-09-25				96,015(+0.03%)
2021-09-26				96,050(+0.04%)
2021-09-27				96,081(+0.03%)
2021-09-28				96,106(+0.03%)
2021-09-29				96,128(+0.02%)
2021-09-30				96,162(+0.04%)
2021-10-01				96,203(+0.04%)
2021-10-02				96,231(+0.03%)
2021-10-03				96,258(+0.03%)
2021-10-04				96,284(+0.03%)
2021-10-05				96,310(+0.03%)
2021-10-06				96,335(+0.03%)
2021-10-07				96,357(+0.02%)
2021-10-08				96,374(+0.02%)
2021-10-09				96,398(+0.02%)
2021-10-10				96,423(+0.03%)
2021-10-11				96,435(+0.01%)
2021-10-12				96,457(+0.02%)
2021-10-13				96,478(+0.02%)
2021-10-14				96,488(+0.01%)
2021-10-15				96,502(+0.01%)
2021-10-16				96,522(+0.02%)
2021-10-17				96,546(+0.02%)
2021-10-18				96,571(+0.03%)
2021-10-19				96,601(+0.03%)
2021-10-20				96,622(+0.02%)
2021-10-21				96,665(+0.04%)
2021-10-22				96,715(+0.05%)
2021-10-23				96,758(+0.04%)
2021-10-24				96,797(+0.04%)
2021-10-25				96,840(+0.04%)
2021-10-26				96,899(+0.06%)
2021-10-27				96,938(+0.04%)
2021-10-28				97,002(+0.07%)
2021-10-29				97,080(+0.08%)
2021-10-30				97,151(+0.07%)
2021-10-31				97,243(+0.09%)
2021-11-01				97,314(+0.07%)
2021-11-02				97,423(+0.11%)
2021-11-03				97,527(+0.11%)
2021-11-04				97,605(+0.08%)
2021-11-05				97,660(+0.06%)
2021-11-06				97,734(+0.08%)
2021-11-07				97,823(+0.09%)
2021-11-08				97,885(+0.06%)
2021-11-09				97,939(+0.06%)
2021-11-10				98,001(+0.06%)
2021-11-11				98,099(+0.1%)
2021-11-12				98,174(+0.08%)
2021-11-13				98,263(+0.09%)
2021-11-14				98,315(+0.05%)
2021-11-15				98,337(+0.02%)
2021-11-16				98,368(+0.03%)
2021-11-17				98,403(+0.04%)
2021-11-18				98,427(+0.02%)
2021-11-19				98,450(+0.02%)
2021-11-20				98,467(+0.02%)
2021-11-21				98,505(+0.04%)
2021-11-22				98,524(+0.02%)
2021-11-23				98,546(+0.02%)
2021-11-24				98,570(+0.02%)
2021-11-25				98,583(+0.01%)
2021-11-26				98,608(+0.03%)
2021-11-27				98,631(+0.02%)
2021-11-28				98,672(+0.04%)
2021-11-29				98,711(+0.04%)
2021-11-30				98,824(+0.11%)
2021-12-01				98,897(+0.07%)
2021-12-02				98,993(+0.1%)
2021-12-03				99,083(+0.09%)
2021-12-04				99,142(+0.06%)
2021-12-05				99,203(+0.06%)
2021-12-06				99,297(+0.09%)
2021-12-07				99,371(+0.07%)
2021-12-08				99,454(+0.08%)
2021-12-09				99,517(+0.06%)
2021-12-10				99,604(+0.09%)
2021-12-11				99,679(+0.08%)
2021-12-12				99,780(+0.1%)
2021-12-13				99,856(+0.08%)
2021-12-14				99,923(+0.07%)
2021-12-15				100,000(+0.08%)
2021-12-16				100,076(+0.08%)
2021-12-17				100,201(+0.12%)
2021-12-18				100,284(+0.08%)
2021-12-19				100,386(+0.1%)
2021-12-20				100,467(+0.08%)
2021-12-21				100,544(+0.08%)
2021-12-22				100,644(+0.1%)
2021-12-23				100,731(+0.09%)
2021-12-24				100,871(+0.14%)
2021-12-25				101,077(+0.2%)
2021-12-26				101,277(+0.2%)
2021-12-27				101,486(+0.21%)
2021-12-28				101,683(+0.19%)
2021-12-29				101,890(+0.2%)
2021-12-30				102,083(+0.19%)
2021-12-31				102,314(+0.23%)
2022-01-01				102,505(+0.19%)
2022-01-02				102,666(+0.16%)
2022-01-03				102,841(+0.17%)
2022-01-04				102,932(+0.09%)
2022-01-05				103,121(+0.18%)
2022-01-06				103,295(+0.17%)
2022-01-07				103,454(+0.15%)
2022-01-08				103,619(+0.16%)
2022-01-09				103,776(+0.15%)
2022-01-10				103,968(+0.19%)
2022-01-11				104,189(+0.21%)
2022-01-12				104,379(+0.18%)
2022-01-13				104,580(+0.19%)
2022-01-14				104,745(+0.16%)
2022-01-15				104,864(+0.11%)
2022-01-16				105,087(+0.21%)
2022-01-17				105,258(+0.16%)
2022-01-18				105,345(+0.08%)
2022-01-19				105,411(+0.06%)
2022-01-20				105,484(+0.07%)
2022-01-21				105,547(+0.06%)
2022-01-22				105,603(+0.05%)
2022-01-23				105,660(+0.05%)
2022-01-24				105,705(+0.04%)
2022-01-25				105,749(+0.04%)
2022-01-26				105,811(+0.06%)
2022-01-27				105,875(+0.06%)
2022-01-28				105,934(+0.06%)
2022-01-29				106,015(+0.08%)
2022-01-30				106,073(+0.05%)
2022-01-31				106,139(+0.06%)
From 10 February 2020 onwards, the data includes the cases in Hubei that were not tested for the virus but clinically diagnosed based on medical imaging showing signs of pneumonia. The lab-tested data was also separately available for 10–15 February 2020. Data from 16 February 2020 onwards did not include a separate number of lab-tested cases. From 19 February 2020 onwards, only new lab-tested cases were counted towards the total (but clinically diagnosed cases counted earlier were not discarded). On 17 April 2020, following the Wuhan government's issuance of a report on accounting for COVID-19 deaths that occurred at home that went previously unreported, as well as the subtraction of deaths that were previously double-counted by different hospitals, the NHC revised their cumulative totals dating to 16 April, adding 325 cumulative cases and 1,290 deaths. Data sourced from NHC daily reports. (In another link before January 25, on Wuhan MHC website before January 10)

Chinese scientists were able to quickly isolate a strain of the coronavirus and publish the genetic sequence so that laboratories across the world could independently develop PCR tests to detect infection by the virus. The WHO had praised the Chinese for their swift efforts. 2019-nCoV's genome sequence is 75- to 80-percent identical to SARS-CoV, and more than 85-percent similar to several bat coronaviruses. Of the first 41 confirmed cases, two-thirds were found to have a link with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which also sold live animals. Of the first 41 confirmed 2019-nCoV cases, the earliest reported symptoms occurred 1 December 2019, in a person who did not have any exposure to the market or to the remaining 40 affected people. As the number of cases have increased, the significance of the market lessened.

On 17 January, an Imperial College group in the United Kingdom published a report that there had been 1,723 cases (95% confidence interval, 427–4,471) with onset of symptoms by 12 January. This was based on the pattern of the initial spread to Thailand and Japan. They also concluded that "self-sustaining human-to-human transmission should not be ruled out", which has since been confirmed. As further cases came to light, they later recalculated that "4,000 cases of 2019-nCoV in Wuhan City had onset of symptoms by 18 January 2020". A Hong Kong University group has reached a similar conclusion as the earlier study, with additional detail on transport within China.

On 20 January, China reported a sharp rise in cases with nearly 140 new patients, including two people in Beijing and one in Shenzhen. On 25 January, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases stood at 2,062, including 2,016 in Mainland China, seven in Thailand, six in Hong Kong, five in Macau, five in Australia, four in Malaysia, four in Singapore, three in France, three in Japan, three in South Korea, three in Taiwan, three in the United States, two in Vietnam, one in Nepal, and one in Sweden.

Areas affected

Main articles: Timeline of the 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak and 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak by country and territory

Updated November 3, 2024.

COVID-19 pandemic by location

	Location	Cases	Deaths
	World	776,695,852	7,072,496
	European Union	186,241,416	1,265,093
	United States	103,436,829	1,205,461
	China	99,381,002	122,367
	India	45,044,081	533,652
	France	39,023,328	168,091
	Germany	38,437,756	174,979
	Brazil	37,511,921	702,116
	South Korea	34,571,873	35,934
	Japan	33,803,572	74,694
	Italy	26,826,486	197,542
	United Kingdom	25,006,869	232,112
	Russia	24,547,989	403,508
	Turkey	17,004,728	101,419
	Spain	13,980,340	121,852
	Australia	11,861,161	25,236
	Vietnam	11,624,000	43,206
	Argentina	10,105,599	130,693
	Taiwan	9,970,937	17,672
	Netherlands	8,644,223	22,986
	Iran	7,627,863	146,837
	Mexico	7,622,259	334,764
	Indonesia	6,829,668	162,059
	Poland	6,755,185	120,875
	Colombia	6,394,306	142,727
	Austria	6,082,821	22,534
	Greece	5,724,778	39,606
	Portugal	5,669,374	29,018
	Ukraine	5,541,734	109,923
	Chile	5,403,559	64,482
	Malaysia	5,316,630	37,351
	Belgium	4,888,331	34,339
	Israel	4,841,558	12,707
	Canada	4,819,055	55,282
	Czech Republic	4,807,669	43,660
	Thailand	4,803,135	34,733
	Peru	4,526,977	220,975
	Switzerland	4,466,918	14,170
	Philippines	4,173,631	66,864
	South Africa	4,072,813	102,595
	Romania	3,566,466	68,899
	Denmark	3,442,484	9,919
	Singapore	3,006,155	2,024
	Hong Kong	2,876,106	13,466
	Sweden	2,764,353	27,928
	New Zealand	2,650,294	4,435
	Serbia	2,583,470	18,057
	Iraq	2,465,545	25,375
	Hungary	2,235,887	49,084
	Bangladesh	2,051,455	29,499
	Slovakia	1,883,245	21,247
	Georgia	1,863,615	17,150
	Republic of Ireland	1,750,342	9,900
	Jordan	1,746,997	14,122
	Pakistan	1,580,631	30,656
	Norway	1,523,402	5,732
	Kazakhstan	1,504,370	19,072
	Finland	1,499,712	11,466
	Lithuania	1,398,560	9,847
	Slovenia	1,359,672	9,914
	Croatia	1,347,441	18,774
	Bulgaria	1,337,252	38,743
	Morocco	1,279,115	16,305
	Puerto Rico	1,252,713	5,938
	Guatemala	1,250,392	20,203
	Lebanon	1,239,904	10,947
	Costa Rica	1,235,662	9,374
	Bolivia	1,212,149	22,387
	Tunisia	1,153,361	29,423
	Cuba	1,113,662	8,530
	Ecuador	1,078,766	36,054
	United Arab Emirates	1,067,030	2,349
	Panama	1,044,987	8,756
	Uruguay	1,041,640	7,684
	Mongolia	1,011,489	2,136
	Nepal	1,003,450	12,031
	Belarus	994,038	7,118
	Latvia	977,765	7,475
	Saudi Arabia	841,469	9,646
	Azerbaijan	836,462	10,353
	Paraguay	735,759	19,880
	Cyprus	708,559	1,492
	Palestine	703,228	5,708
	Bahrain	696,614	1,536
	Sri Lanka	672,802	16,907
	Kuwait	667,290	2,570
	Dominican Republic	661,103	4,384
	Moldova	650,542	12,280
	Myanmar	643,209	19,494
	Estonia	610,471	2,998
	Venezuela	552,695	5,856
	Egypt	516,023	24,830
	Qatar	514,524	690
	Libya	507,269	6,437
	Ethiopia	501,239	7,574
	Réunion	494,595	921
	Honduras	472,909	11,114
	Armenia	452,977	8,778
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	403,890	16,400
	Oman	399,449	4,628
	Luxembourg	395,802	1,000
	North Macedonia	352,032	9,990
	Zambia	349,892	4,078
	Brunei	349,170	181
	Kenya	344,109	5,689
	Albania	337,192	3,608
	Botswana	330,696	2,801
	Mauritius	329,121	1,074
	Kosovo	274,279	3,212
	Algeria	272,173	6,881
	Nigeria	267,189	3,155
	Zimbabwe	266,396	5,740
	Montenegro	251,280	2,654
	Afghanistan	235,214	7,998
	Mozambique	233,845	2,252
	Martinique	230,354	1,104
	Laos	219,060	671
	Iceland	210,656	186
	Guadeloupe	203,235	1,021
	El Salvador	201,960	4,230
	Trinidad and Tobago	191,496	4,390
	Maldives	186,694	316
	Uzbekistan	175,081	1,016
	Namibia	172,556	4,110
	Ghana	172,210	1,462
	Uganda	172,159	3,632
	Jamaica	157,322	3,618
	Cambodia	139,324	3,056
	Rwanda	133,266	1,468
	Cameroon	125,279	1,974
	Malta	123,114	925
	Barbados	108,835	593
	Angola	107,482	1,937
	Democratic Republic of the Congo	100,976	1,474
	French Guiana	98,041	413
	Senegal	89,312	1,972
	Malawi	89,168	2,686
	Kyrgyzstan	88,953	1,024
	Ivory Coast	88,448	835
	Suriname	82,503	1,406
	New Caledonia	80,203	314
	French Polynesia	79,451	650
	Eswatini	75,356	1,427
	Guyana	74,491	1,302
	Belize	71,430	688
	Fiji	69,047	885
	Madagascar	68,575	1,428
	Jersey	66,391	161
	Cabo Verde	64,474	417
	Sudan	63,993	5,046
	Mauritania	63,876	997
	Bhutan	62,697	21
	Syria	57,423	3,163
	Burundi	54,569	15
	Guam	52,287	419
	Seychelles	51,892	172
	Gabon	49,056	307
	Andorra	48,015	159
	Papua New Guinea	46,864	670
	Curaçao	45,883	305
	Aruba	44,224	292
	Tanzania	43,263	846
	Mayotte	42,027	187
	Togo	39,533	290
	Bahamas	39,127	849
	Guinea	38,582	468
	Isle of Man	38,008	116
	Lesotho	36,138	709
	Guernsey	35,326	67
	Faroe Islands	34,658	28
	Haiti	34,555	860
	Mali	33,171	743
	Federated States of Micronesia	31,765	65
	Cayman Islands	31,472	37
	Saint Lucia	30,288	410
	Benin	28,036	163
	Somalia	27,334	1,361
	Solomon Islands	25,954	199
	United States Virgin Islands	25,389	132
	San Marino	25,292	126
	Republic of the Congo	25,234	389
	Timor-Leste	23,460	138
	Burkina Faso	22,146	400
	Liechtenstein	21,603	89
	Gibraltar	20,550	113
	Grenada	19,693	238
	Bermuda	18,860	165
	South Sudan	18,847	147
	Tajikistan	17,786	125
	Monaco	17,181	67
	Equatorial Guinea	17,130	183
	Samoa	17,057	31
	Tonga	16,992	13
	Marshall Islands	16,297	17
	Nicaragua	16,194	245
	Dominica	16,047	74
	Djibouti	15,690	189
	Central African Republic	15,443	113
	Northern Mariana Islands	14,985	41
	Gambia	12,627	372
	Collectivity of Saint Martin	12,324	46
	Vanuatu	12,019	14
	Greenland	11,971	21
	Yemen	11,945	2,159
	Caribbean Netherlands	11,922	41
	Sint Maarten	11,051	92
	Eritrea	10,189	103
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	9,674	124
	Guinea-Bissau	9,614	177
	Niger	9,528	315
	Comoros	9,109	160
	Antigua and Barbuda	9,106	146
	American Samoa	8,359	34
	Liberia	8,090	294
	Sierra Leone	7,985	126
	Chad	7,702	194
	British Virgin Islands	7,628	64
	Cook Islands	7,375	2
	Turks and Caicos Islands	6,824	40
	Sao Tome and Principe	6,771	80
	Saint Kitts and Nevis	6,607	46
	Palau	6,372	10
	Saint Barthélemy	5,507	5
	Nauru	5,393	1
	Kiribati	5,085	24
	Anguilla	3,904	12
	Wallis and Futuna	3,760	9
	Macau	3,514	121
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	3,426	2
	Tuvalu	2,943	1
	Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	2,166	0
	Falkland Islands	1,923	0
	Montserrat	1,403	8
	Niue	1,092	0
	Tokelau	80	0
	Vatican City	26	0
	Pitcairn Islands	4	0
	Turkmenistan	0	0
	North Korea	0	0

The virus spread to other Chinese provinces in early and mid-January 2020, helped by the Chinese new year migration. Cases started to be detected in other countries, carried by international travelers, typically to major trade partners: Thailand (13 January); Japan (15 January); South Korea (20 January); Taiwan and the United States (21 January); Hong Kong and Macau (22 January); Singapore (23 January); France, Nepal and Vietnam (24 January); Australia and Malaysia (25 January); Canada (26 January); Cambodia (27 January); Germany (28 January); Finland, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (29 January); India, Italy and Philippines (30 January); the United Kingdom, Russia, Sweden and Spain (31 January). As of 1 February, more than 14,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide, 98% in China proper. 362 deaths have been attributed to the virus, with the first death outside of China occurring in the Philippines on 1 February. Estimative models suggest the real figure is several times higher than diagnosed and communicated cases. Local human-to-human contamination has been confirmed in Vietnam, Japan, Germany, and the United States (specifically Chicago), but no active centres of propagation have been confirmed outside China so far. Since around 23 January, an important effort, within China and abroad, is being led by the WHO and local governments to alert the population and set up measures preventing additional propagations of the virus. On 30 January, citing 7,711 cases essentially in China and 83 cases abroad across 18 countries on 29 January, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

• 
  2019-nCoV cases in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan

    Confirmed 1–9

    Confirmed 10–99

    Confirmed 100–499

    Confirmed 500-999

    Confirmed ≥1,000
• 
  Map of the 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak as of 8 November 2024

    Region of origin (mainland China)

    Confirmed cases reported

    Suspected cases reported

Estimates

Based on cases reported and assuming a 10-day delay between infection and detection, researchers at Northeastern University and Imperial College London estimated that the number of actual infections may be 10 times higher than those confirmed at the time of reporting. Imperial College estimated 4,000 cases with 440 confirmed by 21 January 2020, Northeastern University estimated 21,300 infections by 26 January, increasing to 26,200 infections by 27 January (with a confidence of 95% within the interval 19,200–34,800). On 31 January 2020, an article published in the Lancet estimated that 75,815 individuals have been infected in Wuhan as of 25 January 2020.

There are concerns about whether adequate medical personnel and equipment are available in regions affected by the outbreak for hospitals to correctly identify coronavirus cases instead of misdiagnosing suspected cases as "severe pneumonia". Many of those experiencing symptoms were told to self-quarantine at home instead of going to a hospital to avoid close contact with other patients with different levels of symptoms. After 2 repatriation flights were conducted from Wuhan to Japan in late January, 5 out of approximately 400 persons repatriated were diagnosed with the virus, of whom 1 was symptomatic and 4 were not.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of 2019-nCoV (Wuhan coronavirus). There are reports that it may spread even without symptoms.

Those afflicted may be asymptomatic, although those manifesting symptoms may have fever, cough, shortness of breath, and diarrhea, and may vary from slight to very severe.

The number of severe cases as of 3 February 2019 is 2,298 out of 17,393, with 488 having recovered. Cases of severe infection can result in pneumonia, kidney failure, and death. Upper respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose or sore throat are less frequent.

The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is estimated at 2 to 10 days by the World Health Organization and 2 to 14 days by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Among the first 41 confirmed cases admitted to hospitals in Wuhan, 13 (32%) individuals had another chronic condition, like diabetes or hypertension. Overall, 13 (32%) individuals required intensive care, and 6 (15%) individuals died. Many of those who died had other conditions such as advanced age, hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease that impaired their immune systems.

Cause

Main article: Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

Spread

Coronaviruses are primarily spread through air droplets expelled when an infected individual coughs or sneezes within a range of about 3 feet (0.91 m) to 6 feet (1.8 m). Viral RNA was also detected in stool specimens collected from the first confirmed case though it was unclear if infectious virus was present to suggest fecal-oral transmission.

Of the initial 41 cases, two-thirds had a history of exposure to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.

A super-spreader was reported to have infected 14 different members of medical staff. On 25 January 2020, Gao Fu, the head of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in an announcement made to the Xinhua News Agency, denied that the said person should be considered a "super spreader" simply because he was moved to multiple wards. Earlier the same day, however, China Newsweek (operated by another official news agency, China News Service), citing an expert from Peking University, claimed that the aforementioned patient could be considered a super-spreader already and criticised the hospitals involved for not having properly protected the staff who came into contact. China Newsweek also criticised the government's censorship, saying healthcare providers, except those in the fever clinic, have only a mask for protection.

Basic reproduction number

Semi-log plot of confirmed cases and deaths in China (trend lines designate exponential growth)

The spread of the virus between people has been variable, with some affected people not transmitting the virus to others while others have been able to spread the infection to several people. There have been various estimates for the basic reproduction number, ranging from 2.13 to 3.11. The number describes how many people a newly infected person is likely to pass the virus onto. The new coronavirus has been reportedly able to transmit down a chain of up to four people so far. This is similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARSCoV).

Virology

Genomic information

Genome organisation (click to enlarge)
NCBI genome ID	MN908947
Genome size	30473 bp
Year of completion	2020

The natural wildlife reservoir of the 2019‐nCoV and intermediate host that transmitted the 2019-nCoV to humans has not been confirmed. However, it is likely that the primary reservoir for the virus is bats. Of 585 animal specimens taken from the market, 33 showed evidence of 2019-nCoV.

An updated preprint paper published 23 January 2020 on bioRxiv from members of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that the 2019 novel coronavirus has possible bat origins, as their analysis shows that nCoV-2019 is 96% identical at the whole genome level to a bat coronavirus identified in 2013.

A report published one day earlier from Peking University, Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical University, Ningbo University and Wuhan Biology Engineering College compares the codon usage bias of 2019-nCoV with "humans, bats, chickens, hedgehogs, pangolins, and two species of snakes", and they concluded that "snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir for the 2019‐nCoV" which then transmitted to humans. This claim has been widely disputed: some argued that the reservoir must be bats and the intermediate host, bird or mammal, not snakes (as snakes, unlike humans, are poikilotherms), while others used data on recombination and SARS/MERS codon usage bias refute the reasoning. The recombination event mentioned probably happened in bats instead.

Phylogenetic studies of 2019-nCoV examine the evolutionary history of the virus and its relationships with other organisms. The seventh member of the family of coronaviruses that can infect humans, 2019-nCoV has been reported to have a genome sequence 75% to 80% identical to the SARS-CoV and to have more similarities to several bat coronaviruses. At least five genomes of the novel coronavirus have been isolated and reported. These show that the virus is genetically distinct from other known coronaviruses such as Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Like SARS-CoV, it is a member of Beta-CoV lineage B.

A peer-reviewed paper by Domenico Benvenuto et al. describes a phylogenetic tree built from 15 available whole genome sequence of 2019-nCoV and 12 whole genome sequences of 2019-nCoV and 12 highly similar whole genome sequences available in gene bank. Genomic analysis shows that the Nucleocapsid and the Spike Glycoprotein have some sites under positive selective pressure. Homology modelling indicated certain molecular and structural differences among the viruses. The phylogenetic tree showed that 2019-nCoV significantly clustered with a Bat SARS-like Coronavirus sequence, whereas structural analysis revealed mutations in Spike Glycoprotein and nucleocapsid protein. The authors concluded 2019-nCoV is a coronavirus distinct from SARS virus that probably was transmitted from bats or another host that provided the ability to infect humans.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae and the order Nidovirales. CoVs have an enveloped, crown-like viral particle from which they were named after. The CoV genome is a positive-sense, single-strand RNA (+ssRNA), 27–32 kb in size, which is the second largest of all RNA virus genomes. Typically, two-thirds of the genomic RNA encodes for two large overlapping polyproteins, ORF1a and ORF1b, that are processed into the viral polymerase (RdRp) and other nonstructural proteins involved in RNA synthesis or host response modulation. The other third of the genome encodes for four structural proteins (spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N)) and other accessory proteins. While the ORF1a/ORF1b and the four structural proteins are relatively consistent, the length of the CoV genome is largely dependent on the number and size of accessory proteins.

Diagnosis

On 15 January 2020, the WHO published a protocol for testing for 2019-nCoV. Since then, several other testing protocols have been proposed, and published by the WHO.

Testing uses real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). The test can be done on respiratory or blood samples. Results are generally available within a few hours to days.

Prevention

See also: Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) § Vaccine research

A doctor in a protective bunny suit sees a patient in a Wuhan hospital.

The protocols to prevent infection vary depending on the likelihood of susceptible individuals making effective contact and general differences in medical philosophy between culture. Official advice has generally been limited to calls for good personal hygiene and regular hand washing. Those who suspect themselves to be infected are asked to wear surgical masks and call a doctor for medical advice. A significant number of countries have issued advisories warning against travel to either Mainland China, the province of Hubei, or just Wuhan.

The public has often taken precautions which are beyond what is advised by health authorities. There is widespread use of surgical masks by healthy people in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. Reports that people are panic-buying sanitary products such as hand sanitizers and disinfectants relate to the public preferring to keep their hands and laundry "clean' with antiseptic products. Additionally people have been avoiding contact with Mainland Chinese people in places as far away as the United States. Japanese people have been reported to wear surgical masks and spray themselves with air disinfectants in areas where foreigners are more likely to be found.

The Government of Hong Kong ask that people maintain good personal hygiene and keep both hands clean. It furthermore warns anyone travelling outside the city that they "do not touch animals; do not eat game meat; and avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms". Anyone who suspects themselves of infection are asked to wear a surgical mask and ring a doctor.

The Ministry of Health in Singapore asks that people practice a good standard of hygiene, such as washing hands regularly. Those who are unwell should wear a mask and see a doctor immediately.

The WHO recommends "regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing… [and] avoid[ing] close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness (such as coughing and sneezing)."

Quarantine measures

Main article: 2020 Hubei lockdowns

Cities under lockdown in China
Place	Province	Start date	End date	City level	Population	Cases	Deaths	Recoveries	Active
Wuhan	Hubei	2020-01-23	2020-04-08	Sub-provincial	11,081,000	50,340	3,869	46,471	0
Xiaogan	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	4,920,000	3,518	129	3,389	0
Huanggang	Hubei	2020-01-23	2020-03-25	Prefectural	6,330,000	2,907	125	2,782	0
Jingzhou	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-17	Prefectural	5,590,200	1,580	52	1,528	0
Ezhou	Hubei	2020-01-23	2020-03-25	Prefectural	1,077,700	1,394	59	1,335	0
Suizhou	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	2,216,700	1,307	45	1,262	0
Xiangyang	Hubei	2020-01-28	2020-03-25	Prefectural	5,669,000	1,175	40	1,135	0
Huangshi	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-13	Prefectural	2,470,700	1,015	39	976	0
Yichang	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	4,135,850	931	37	894	0
Jingmen	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	2,896,500	928	41	887	0
Xianning	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	2,543,300	836	15	821	0
Shiyan	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	3,406,000	672	8	664	0
Xiantao	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Sub-prefectural	1,140,500	575	22	553	0
Tianmen	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Sub-prefectural	1,272,300	496	15	481	0
Enshi	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	3,378,000	252	7	245	0
Qianjiang	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-13	Sub-prefectural	966,000	198	9	189	0
Shennongjia	Hubei	2020-01-27	2020-03-25	Sub-prefectural	78,912	11	0	11	0
Wenzhou	Zhejiang	2020-02-02	2020-02-20	Prefectural	9,190,000	507	1	503	3
Ürümqi	Xinjiang	2020-07-18	2020-08-26	Prefectural	3,519,600	845	0	845	0
Shijiazhuang	Hebei	2021-01-07	2021-01-31	Prefectural	11,031,200	977	1	962	14
Xi'an	Shaanxi	2021-12-22	2022-01-16	Sub-provincial	8,467,838	2,265	3	2,185	77
Yuzhou	Henan	2022-01-04	2022-01-31	County	1,167,000	-	-	-	-
Anyang	Henan	2022-01-10	2022-02-03	Prefectural	5,477,614	522	0	522	0
Shenzhen	Guangdong	2022-03-14	2022-03-21	Sub-provincial	17,560,000	982	3	428	551
Shanghai	Shanghai	2022-04-01	2022-06-01	Direct-administered municipality	24,870,895
Lockdown total	101,602,895	68,135	4,512	63,623	0
Outbreak ongoing: Infection and fatality data as of 24:00 (UTC+8) 4 June 2020. Totals will evolve.

On 23 January 2020, a quarantine on travel in and out of Wuhan was imposed in an effort to stop the spread of the virus out of Wuhan. Flights and trains in and out of Wuhan, public buses, the metro system and long-distances coaches were suspended until further notice. Large-scale gatherings and group tours were also suspended. By 24 January 2020, a total of 15 cities in the Hubei, including Wuhan, were placed under similar quarantine measures. Thus, the entire Hubei province came under quarantine, save for Xiangyang and the Shennongjia Forestry District.

Due to quarantine measures, Wuhan residents rushed to stockpile essential goods, food, and fuel. The prices of goods rose significantly. Medical staff faced difficulties in commuting to their hospitals, as they were now limited to walking and private cars. Taxis and private-hire vehicles shunned them upon learning of the destination. 5,000,000 people left Wuhan, with 9,000,000 left in the city.

Guan Yi, an epidemiologist and SARS virologist with teams consisting of medical specialists who just flew back to Hong Kong after their one-day inspection in Wuhan told correspondents that "the Wuhan outbreak is at least 10 times larger than that of SARS, calling people to stay away from Wuhan as soon as possible." Some posts on Weibo showed that as early as 12 January, hospitals in Wuhan were already overwhelmed with patients suffering from fever, many of them having to sleep on the floor. Some were also highly critical of the reliability of the figures from the Chinese government as well as the government response, with some calling for quarantine, and post also showed sick people and three dead bodies covered in white sheets on the floor of a hospital on 24 January, although many such posts in Weibo about the epidemic have been deleted.

On 26 January, the city of Shantou in Guangdong declared a partial lockdown, though this was quickly reversed only two hours later. This created chaos, as residents rushed to supermarkets to stock food as soon as the lockdown was declared, and the surge of stockpiling didn't come to an end until the authorities reversed their decision. Caixin said, that the wording of Shantou's initial declaration was "unprecedentedly strict" and will severely affect residents' lives, if implemented as-is. Shantou's Department for Outbreak Control later clarified, that they will not restrict travelling, and all they would do, is to sterilise vehicles used for transportation.

Local authorities of the capital Beijing and several other major cities, including Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen announced on 26 January, that these cities will not impose a lockdown similar to those in Hubei province. Rumours of these potential lockdowns had spread widely prior to the official announcements. A spokesperson of Beijing's Municipal Transportation Commission claimed, that the expressways and highways, as well as subways and buses are operating normally. To ease the residents' panic, the Hangzhou city government stressed that the city will not be locked down from the outside world, and both cities said that they will introduce precautions against potential risks.

On 2 February 2020, the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang also implemented a partial lockdown, closing 46 of the 54 highway checkpoints.

• 
  People queueing outside a Wuhan pharmacy to buy face masks and medical supplies
• 
  Residents of Wuhan wearing masks rushed out to nearby markets to buy vegetables and other food on 23 January during the outbreak
• 
  Residents of Wuhan waiting for the last train of the city's metro on 10 am, 22 January

Evacuation of foreign citizens

Due to the effective lockdown of public transport in Wuhan and Hubei, several countries have planned to evacuate their citizens and/or diplomatic staff from the area, primarily through chartered flights of the home nation that have been provided clearance by Chinese authorities. Japan, the United States, France, Australia, Sri Lanka, Germany and Thailand were among the first to plan the evacuation of their citizens. Pakistan has said that it will not be evacuating any citizens from China.

Timeline of evacuations

• Vietnam permitted four exceptional flights to carry Wuhan passengers home in the period 24–27 January, and organised a flight to evacuate citizens and diplomats.
• On 29 January, Australia and New Zealand announced that they would team up to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. There are between 50–82 New Zealanders in Wuhan and 600 Australians in Hubei including 140 Australian children in Wuhan. The New Zealand Government has also chartered a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from the national carrier Air New Zealand to assist in evacuation efforts, subject to approval from Chinese officials. While priority will be given to New Zealand nationals, the plane will also be evacuating Australian and Pacific Island citizens.
• On 29 January, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced plans to quarantine Australian citizens evacuated from Wuhan, including children and the elderly, for a period of 14 days on Christmas Island. The decision to repatriate those citizens using controversial detention facilities formerly used to detain asylum seekers before they were shut down in 2018 has received criticism. Controversially, the government plan also necessitates those evacuees to pay a fee of AU$1,000 and would drop them off in Perth after the quarantine period, where they would need to arrange their own transportation back to their home cities. The Australian Medical Association, in a statement on the same day, stated that the decision to hold Australian citizens in "a place where has been previously the focus of populations under enormous mental and physical trauma and anguish, is not a really appropriate solution."
• On 29 January, South Korea made last-minute preparations to airlift about 700 South Korean nationals out of Wuhan, including finalising logistical details with the Chinese Government. South Korea officials prepared two planes with two sets of medical teams comprising about 20 doctors, nurses, and foreign ministry and quarantine officials for each team.
• On 29 January, the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) prepared three aircraft including two Boeing 737 and one C-130 Hercules stationed in Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, with a battalion of health experts to help evacuate Indonesian nationals and citizens from the city. As of 29 January, the TNI-AU was waiting for instruction from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on standby for 24 hours in case the order was given. On 1 February the evacuation for as many as 243 Indonesians will commence, and they will be quarantined in Natuna Regency for 14 days, the evacuation process is planned to take around 9 hours, the 42-man team will evacuate about 245 Indonesians. They will depart at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, on Saturday (1/2/2020) at 13:00 WIB. The Indonesian government chartered A330-300CEO (PK-LDY) Lion Air Group's Batik Air aircraft to evacuate around 200 Indonesian citizens from Hubei, China, including Wuhan City. Of the original 245 Indonesians in Wuhan, 4 refused to leave Wuhan, and 3 failed to pass the screening test by the Chinese in China. Before they landed in Batam, "All have been declared healthy according to World Health Organization standards".The plane from Wuhan landed in Hang Nadim International Airport, Batam at around 8.45 am and they disembarked one by one, with long intervals. Officers wearing yellow and white Hazmat suits checked, disinfect on the passengers and escorted them out, Antara news agency reported. Then they went to Natuna using TNI-AU aircraft consist of one Boeing 737-200 Advanced (AL-7304) from Skadron Udara 5, one Boeing 737-400 (A-7306) from Skadron Udara 17, and one Lockheed C-130 (A-1315) from Skadron Udara 33. The three aircraft landed in Raden Sadjad Air Force Base, Ranai. However, the arrival of Indonesian citizens on Natuna was protested by the people on the island because they were worried that they would be infected by the corona virus. Hundreds of people then staged demonstrations and burned tires. As a result, Brimob troops were deployed to ensure stable security conditions. To protect and give health assurance to local people, Jokowi orders Health Minister to have an temporary office in Natuna.
• On 30 January 92 Singaporeans were evacuated from Wuhan via a special Scoot flight, crewed by volunteers from the airline after co-ordination between Singapore and Chinese authorities facilitated the flights. However, there are still some Singaporeans left behind as they display symptoms, and it made no sense to have them evacuated with the rest who may not be infected. Two of the evacuees were later confirmed as the first Singaporeans to have the virus. Both were asymptomatic during the flight but were found to have a fever upon arrival.
• On 31 January, a British plane carrying 110 EU nationals (83 Britons and 27 others, not including military medics from the UK on board) left Wuhan, arriving at RAF Brize Norton in England. The British passengers are quarantined at a segregated block of Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral; all passengers were tested before and during the flight, with none having the virus. The other EU nationals were flown on to Spain from Brize Norton. More Britons (up to 150) were supposed to be on the flight, which was planned to leave a day earlier; China initially declined permission, and then anyone who had a Chinese passport (including infants and a newborn to British parents) were told they could not leave. Shortly before the flight left, this decision was reversed, but too late for people to get to the airport even though the plane was also delayed for several hours. The British government plans to send another plane if necessary. On this day, the first cases of the virus were reported in the UK, but were unrelated.
• On 1 February morning, a chartered aeroplane departed from Thailand to Wuhan to evacuate 64 Thai nationals from the city led by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The aeroplane includes a medical team specialised in respiratory tract infection and emergency medicine.
• On 1 February 2020, a German Air Force plane was denied a stopover in Moscow after its starting point in Wuhan, according to the German Minister of Defense. Originally, the plane got an approval for a layover in Moscow. The plane needed a stop for refuelling and a change of crew personnel. The aircraft evacuated 102 German and 26 non-German citizens. The plane made a stopover in Helsinki on its way to Frankfurt Airport. The German Minister of Health stated that all passengers show no symptoms of the coronavirus. On its way to Wuhan the aeroplane carried 10,000 suits of protective equipment as requested by the Chinese government.
• On 1 February 2020, an advanced team of officers from the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing headed to Wuhan by road to rescue and evacuate their 120 citizens from the city and the surrounding areas. The evacuation order was carried out after the decision of the Cabinet on 29 January 2020.
• On 2 February 2020, a French plane from Wuhan, carrying EU and some of the remaining British nationals, landed in Marseille. On the same day, the Brazilian government said it would send to China, a plane of the country's Air Force, with the mission of rescuing the 58 Brazilians who are in the city of Wuhan. Upon arrival in Brazil, they will be quarantined at a military base. While 325 Canadians in Hubei province registered for evacuation, the Government of Canada was still awaiting clearance from China to allow a chartered flight to Wuhan and repatriate Canadians at CFB Trenton as of 2 February.

Vaccine research

Main article: Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) § Vaccine research

Several organisations around the world are developing vaccines or testing antiviral medicine. In China, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) has started developing vaccines against the novel coronavirus and is testing existing drug effectiveness for pneumonia. Also, Hong Kong researcher Yuen Kwok-yung and his team in the University of Hong Kong announced that a new vaccine is developed, but needs to be tested on animals before conducting clinical tests on humans. The Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor started the development of a vaccine, relying on the WHO's recommendations.

In Western countries, The United States' National Institutes of Health (NIH) is hoping for human trials of a vaccine by April 2020, and the Cambridge, Massachusetts–based Moderna is developing a mRNA vaccine with funding from CEPI. Inovio Pharmaceuticals received a grant from CEPI and designed a vaccine in two hours after receiving the gene sequence. The vaccine is being manufactured so that it can be first tested on animals. The Norwegian Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is funding three vaccine projects and hopes to have a vaccine in trials by June 2020 and approved and ready in a year. The University of Queensland in Australia has received AU$10.6 million in funding from CEPI to develop a "molecular clamp" vaccine platform.

Management

See also: Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) § Treatment

Infrared cameras were installed in Wuhan railway station to check passengers' body temperature before they board the trains.

2019-nCoV does not have any effective medications or vaccines, though development efforts are underway. It is however possible to attempt to relieve the symptoms of the coronavirus, which include taking regular (over-the-counter) flu medications, drinking fluids and resting. Oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, and breathing support may be required. Some countries require people to report flu-like symptoms to their doctor, especially if they have visited Mainland China.

Domestic responses

'Aerial photography of roads after motor vehicles are banned in central urban areas of Wuhan: few vehicle traces' – Video news from China News Service

Passengers wearing masks going through an extra body temperature check as part of airport security. Captured on 26 January in NE China's Changchun Longjia Airport

Hong Kong residents queueing to refund their bullet train tickets to the mainland in West Kowloon railway station

On 25 January, Politburo of the Communist Party of China met to discuss novel coronavirus prevention and control. Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping stated that the country is facing a "grave situation" as the number of infected people is accelerating. In the evening, the authorities banned the use of private vehicles in Wuhan. Only vehicles that are transporting critical supplies or emergency response vehicles are allowed to move within the city.

On 26 January, a leading group on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak was established, led by Premier Li Keqiang. The leading group has decided to extend Spring Festival holiday to contain coronavirus outbreak.

China Customs started to require all passengers entering and exiting China to fill in an extra health declaration form starting 26 January. The health declaration form was mentioned in China's Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, granting the customs rights to require it if needed. The customs said it will "restart this system" as it was not a requirement before.

On 27 January, Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan to direct the epidemic prevention work. Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Center for China Studies suggested that "Li was selected for political reasons. If the situation deteriorated further, Li would have to take the blame. Compared to SARS, (then-President) Hu Jintao visited a few places severely affected by SARS, but Xi [Xinping] is now staying safely in Beijing."

Authorities across China announced school closures and delayed the spring semester. All schools ranging from kindergartens to universities in the whole of Hubei province will have their winter break prolonged and the exact date of the new semester will be announced later, according to a statement made on 24 January. China's Ministry of Education also asked all schools to halt public assemblies and delay major exams. Some universities with open campuses also banned the public from visiting. The education department in Hunan, which neighbours the centre of the outbreak Hubei province, stressed on the official newspaper Hunan Daily on 23 January, claiming it will strictly ban off-school tutors and restrict unapproved student gatherings, which are all common practices in China for students to get better grades. Education departments in Shanghai and Shenzhen also imposed bans on off-school tutoring and ask schools to track and report students who have been to Wuhan or Hubei province during the winter break. Several universities, including China's top-ranking Peking University and Tsinghua University announced the spring semesters will be delayed on 26 January. The semi-autonomous regions Hong Kong and Macau also announced adjustments on schooling schedules. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam declared an emergency at a press conference on 25 January, saying the government will close primary and secondary schools for two more weeks on top of the previously scheduled Lunar New Year holiday, pushing the date for school reopening to 17 February. Macau closed several museums and libraries, and prolonged the Lunar New Year holiday break to 11 February for higher education institutions and 10 February for others. The University of Macau said they will track the physical conditions of students who have been to Wuhan during the Lunar New Year break.

On 27 January, the General Office of the State Council of China, one of the top governing bodies of the People's Republic, officially declared a nation-wide extension on the Lunar New Year holiday and the postponement of the coming spring semester. The Office extended the previously scheduled public holiday from 30 January to 2 February, while it said school openings for the spring semester will be announced in the future.

After the Chinese Lunar New Year on 25 January, there would be another peak of people travelling back from their hometowns to workplaces as a part of Chunyun. Several provinces and cities started to encourage people to stay in their hometowns and not travel back. Eastern China's Suzhou also encouraged remote working via the Internet and further prolonged the spring festival break.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China and the China State Railway Group, which regulates China's civil aviation and operates rail services, announced on 24 January that passengers could have full refunds for their plane and train tickets without any additional surcharges, regardless of whether their flight or train will go through Wuhan or not. Some hotel chains and online travel agencies also allowed more flexibility in cancellations and changes. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism ordered travel agencies and online tourism firms to suspend package tours and stop offering "flight+hotel" bundles.

More provinces and cities outside the most contaminated Hubei started to restrict travel. Beijing suspended all intercity bus coaches on 25 January, with several others follow suit. Shanghai, Tianjin, Shandong, Xi'an, and Sanya all announced suspension of intercity or inter-province bus services on 26 January.

On 1 February 2020, Xinhua News reported that China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has "asked procuratorates nationwide to fully play their role to create a favourable judicial environment in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak." This includes severe punishments for those found guilty of dereliction of duty and the withholding of information for officials. Intensified charges were proscribed for commercial criminal activities such as "the pushing up prices, profiteering and severely disturbing market order" along with the "production and sale of fake and shoddy protective equipment and medicines." Prosecuting actions against patients who deliberately spread the infection or refuse examination or compulsory isolation along with threats of violence against medical personnel were also urged. The statement also included urging to prosecute those found "fabricating coronavirus-related information that may lead to panic among the public, making up and spreading rumors about the virus, sabotaging the implementation of the law and endangering public security" and also stressed harsh punishment for the lilegal hunting of wildlife under state protection, as well as improving inspection and quarantine measures for fresh food and meat products."

Censorship and police responses

On 20 January, Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping made his first public remark on the outbreak and "spoke of the need for the timely release of information," according to state-run News Agency. Chinese premier Li Keqiang also urged efforts to prevent and control the epidemic. One day later, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, the most powerful political organ in China overseeing legal enforcement and the police, wrote "self-deception will only make the epidemic worse and turn a natural disaster that was controllable into a man-made disaster at great cost," and "only openness can minimise panic to the greatest extent." The commission then added, "anyone who deliberately delays and hides the reporting of cases out of self-interest will be nailed on a pillar of shame for eternity."

Also on the same day, Xi Jinping instructed authorities "to strengthen the guidance of public opinions" so to maintain "social confidence" in the government, language which some view as a call for censorship after commentators on social media became increasingly pointedly critical and angry at the government due to the epidemic. Some view this as contradictory to the calls for "openness" that the central government had already declared. Notably, Chinese citizens have reportedly used innovative methods to avoid censorship and express anger about how government officials have handled the outbreak, such as using the word 'Trump' to refer to Xi Jinping, or 'Chernobyl' to refer to the outbreak as a whole. Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, who argued that Xi's enhanced censorship and propaganda system contributed to the crisis, observed that the party's progapanda machinery went into "overdrive" to shape public opinion and protect Xi's reputation, noting that Xi's declaration coincided with the central government's ramped-up response that was widely publicised. On Lunar New Year's Eve, CCTV and People's Daily followed Communist party protocol in downplaying the epidemic while giving top billing to the Communist Party's spring festival Gala in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where Xi did not mention the outbreak in his speech.

The state media has been publishing "gushing reports on Beijing's response" to the epidemic,, such as extensive coverage of the new hospital under construction in Wuhan using images of another already-completed building, seemingly to counteract criticism and redirect public anger towards provincial-level authorities. News articles and social media posts deemed to hold negative tones about the coronavirus and the governmental response were censored, such as those that predicted negative effects of the epidemic on the economy or calls to remove local government officials. Such incidents led to allegations that even private news outlets were required to utilize "planned and controlled publicity" from the authorities' consent; for instance Hubei Daily apologized for a negative post from a reporter while pledging to monitor employees and to spread only information of "positive energy". Reports have described how police have detained people for online posts critical of authorities' response to the epidemic, with an case on 25 January in Tianjin where a man was detained for 10 days for "maliciously publishing aggressive, insulting speech against medical personnel."

On 30 January, China's Supreme Court delivered a rare rebuke against the country's police forces, calling the "unreasonably harsh crackdown on online rumours" as undermining public trust. In what has been called a "highly unusual criticism" by observers, supreme court judge Tang Xinghua said that if police had been lenient against rumours and allowed the public to have taken heed of them, an earlier adoption of "measures like wearing masks, strictly disinfecting and avoiding wildlife markets" may might have been beneficial against the epidemic. The Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy group, states that "there is considerable misinformation on Chinese social media and authorities have legitimate reasons to counter false information that can cause public panic," but has also noted incidents where censorship by the authorities has included social media posted by families of infected people who were potentially seeking help as well as by people living in cordoned cities allegedly only documenting their daily lives amidst the lockdown.

International responses

See also: Timeline of the 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak § Reactions and measures outside Mainland China

Countries/regions with imposed travel restrictions in response to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak as of 2 February 2020. These include entry bans on Chinese citizens or recent visitors to China, halted issuing of visas to Chinese citizens or reimposed visa requirements on Chinese citizens and also countries that have responded with border closures with China.

Since 31 December 2019, some regions and countries near China tightened their screening of selected travellers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States later issued a Level 1 travel watch. Guidances and risk assessments were shortly posted by others including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Public Health England. In China, airports, railway stations and coach stations installed infrared thermometers. People with fevers are subsequently taken to medical institutions after being registered and given masks. Real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) test was used to confirm new cases of coronavirus infection.

An analysis of air travel patterns was used to map out and predict patterns of spread and was published in the Journal of Travel Medicine in mid-January 2020. Based on information from the International Air Transport Association (2018), Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei had the largest volume of travellers from Wuhan. Dubai, Sydney and Melbourne were also reported as popular destinations for people travelling from Wuhan. Using the validated tool, the Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index (IDVI), to assess the ability to manage a disease threat, Bali was reported as least able in preparedness, while cities in Australia were considered most able.

As a result of the outbreak many countries including most the Schengen Area, Armenia, Australia, Iraq, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the United States have imposed temporary entry bans on Chinese citizens or recent visitors to China, or have ceased issuing visas and reimposed visa requirements on Chinese citizens. Several neighbouring countries including Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea and Russia have also responded with border closures with China.

On 22 January 2020, North Korea closed its borders to international tourists to prevent the spread of the virus into the country. Chinese visitors make up the bulk of foreign tourists to North Korea.

Also on 22 January, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that it would be moving the matches in the third round of the 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament from Wuhan to Nanjing, affecting the women's national team squads from Australia, China PR, Chinese Taipei and Thailand. A few days later, the AFC announced that together with Football Federation Australia they would be moving the matches to Sydney. The Asia-Pacific Olympic boxing qualifiers, which were originally set to be held in Wuhan from 3–14 February, were also cancelled and moved to Amman, Jordan to be held between 3–11 March.

On 27 January 2020, the United States CDC issued updated travel guidance for China, recommending that travellers avoid all nonessential travel to all of the country. The CDC has directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to check individuals for symptoms of the coronavirus.

On 29 January 2020, British Airways cancelled all their flights to mainland China as a reaction to the spread of the virus. Lufthansa followed hours later by also suspending all their flights. Lion Air and Air Seoul also suspended all their flights. The same day, The Czechia, stopped issuing Schengen Visa to the Chinese citizens.

On 30 January 2020 Belgium, Greece and Italy closed all Schengen Visa application centres in China. The same day, Egyptair announced suspension of flights between Egypt and Hangzhou starting 1 February 2020 while those to Beijing and Guangzhou will be suspended starting 4 February 2020 until further notice.

On 31 January 2020, Italy closed all passenger air traffic between Italy and China and Taiwan. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority NOTAM says that effective 31 January, all passenger flights from China, including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and Taiwan are suspended until further notice, on request of the Italian health authorities. Aircraft that were flying to Italy when the NOTAM was published, were cleared to land.

On 1 February 2020, after Belgium, Czechia, Greece and Italy, all other Schengen countries visa application centres were closed, suspending the visas issuing to the Chinese citizens, with the exception of the France.

Qatar Airways took the decision to suspend flights to mainland China from 3 February until further notice, due to significant operational challenges caused by entry restrictions imposed by several countries. Qatar Airways is the first carrier in the Middle East to do so, and an ongoing review of operations will be conducted weekly with the intention to reinstate the flights as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

Though some of the airlines cancelled flights to Hong Kong as well, British Airways, Finnair and Lufthansa have not, and American Airlines continues operating a limited service to the area. Hong Kong's four airlines halved the flights to mainland China. The following airlines have so far reduced or cancelled flights to and from China:

• AirAsia
• Air Astana
• Air Canada
• Air France
• Air India
• Air KBZ
• Air New Zealand
• Air Seoul
• Air Tanzania
• American Airlines
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Cebu Pacific
• China Airlines
• Citilink
• Delta Air Lines
• El Al
• EVA Air
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Garuda Indonesia
• Hong Kong Airlines
• Iberia
• IndiGo
• Jetstar Asia
• Jetstar Pacific Airlines
• KLM
• Kenya Airways
• Lion Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• MIAT Mongolian Airlines
• Myanmar Airways International
• Myanmar National Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Philippine Airlines
• Royal Brunei Airlines
• RwandAir
• Scandinavian Airlines
• SCAT Airlines
• Scoot
• Singapore Airlines
• Swiss International Air Lines
• Turkish Airlines
• Turkmenistan Airlines
• Ukraine International Airlines
• United Airlines
• Ural Airlines
• VietJet Air
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

On 31 January 2020, the United States declared the virus a public health emergency. Starting 2 February, all inbound passengers who have been to Hubei in the previous 14 days will be put under quarantine for up to 14 days. Any U.S. Citizen who has travelled to the rest of mainland China will be allowed to continue their travel home if they are asymptomatic, but will be monitored by local health departments.

On 1 February 2020, Vietnam suspended all flights to and from China.

On 2 February 2020, India issued a travel advisory that warned all people residing in India to not travel to China, suspended E-visas from China, and further stated anyone who has travelled to China starting 15 January (to an indefinite point in the future) could be quarantined. New Zealand announced that it will deny entry to all travellers from China and that it will order its citizens to self-isolate for 14 days if they are returning from China. Indonesia and Iraq followed by also banning all travellers that visited China within the past 14 days.

On 3 February 2020, Indonesia announced to ban travel from and to China until further notice

International aid

The United States city of Pittsburgh has announced plans to promptly send aid to Wuhan, with its mayor Bill Peduto stating that "Our office has reached out to the mayor of Wuhan, which is our sister city" and promising that "over the next two days we should be able to have a care package that has been put together." He speculated that the contents of such a package will be coordinated with the consultation of medical experts, but that it will likely consist of "face masks, rubber gloves and other material that could be hard to find in the future." Additionally, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has declared plans to provide help, with UPMC spokesman Paul Wood stating that "UPMC has a significant presence in China and has been in contact with our partners there", also declaring that "we stand ready to assist them and others in China with their unmet humanitarian needs."

The humanitarian aid organisation Direct Relief, in co-ordination with FedEx transportation and logistics support, sent 200,000 face masks along with other personal protective equipment, including gloves and gowns, by emergency airlift to arrive in Wuhan Union Hospital, who requested the supplies by 30 January. The Gates Foundation has stated on 26 January that it will donate US$5 million in aid to support the response in China that will be aimed at assisting "emergency funds and corresponding technical support to help front-line responders."

Japan, in the process of co-ordinating a plane flight to Wuhan to pick up Japanese nationals in the city, has promised that the plane will first carry into Wuhan aid supplies that Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated will consist of "masks and protective suits for Chinese people as well as for Japanese nationals". On 26 January, the plane arrived in Wuhan, donating its supply of one million face masks to the city. Also among the aid supplies were 20,000 protective suits for medical staff across Hubei donated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Support efforts have sprung across Japan to help aid residents in Wuhan. On 27 January, the city of Oita, a sister city to Wuhan for 40 years, sent 30,000 masks from its own disaster relief stockpile to its sister city through the Red Cross network with boxes labelled "Wuhan Jiayou!," meaning "Hang in there, Wuhan!" in Chinese. Its International Affairs Office division head, Soichiro Hayashi, said that "The people of Wuhan are like family" and expressed hopes that "people can return to their ordinary lives as quickly as possible." Peace Winds Japan has declared it will send a staff member to China to help distribute the face masks and other goods that the NGO will send to the country.

On 31 January 2020, Malaysia said it would donate 18 million medical gloves to China as announced by the Minister of Primary Industries Teresa Kok. The Philippine Red Cross also donated $1.4 million worth of Philippine-made face masks which was shipped to Wuhan.

On 1 February 2020, Germany delivered various aids for China to fight the virus, including 10,000 protective suits.

On 3 February 2020, Sriwijaya Air sent 15000 masks and Protective Suits to China .

Specialty hospitals

File:Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital (retouched).jpg

Jinyintan Hospital had initially been tasked with treating those with the coronavirus.

Construction site of Huoshenshan Hospital as it appeared on 24 January.

A speciality hospital named Huoshenshan Hospital has been under construction as a countermeasure against the outbreak and to better quarantine the patients. Wuhan City government had demanded that a state-owned enterprise construct such a hospital "at the fastest speed" comparable to that of the SARS outbreak in 2003. On 24 January, Wuhan authorities specified its planning, saying they planned to have Huoshenshan Hospital built within six days of the announcement and it will be ready to use on 3 February. The speciality hospital will have 813 beds and it will take up 25,000 square metres. The hospital is modelled after the Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was fabricated for the SARS outbreak of 2003, itself built in only seven days. State media reported that there were 1,500 workers and nearly 300 units of construction machinery on the site at peak, and another backup team of 2,000 workers had already gathered.

Authorities announced plans for a second speciality hospital on 25 January which will be named Leishenshan Hospital, with a capacity of 1,600 beds; operations are scheduled to start by 6 February. Some people voiced their concerns through social media services, saying the authorities' decision to build yet another hospital in such little time showed the severity of the outbreak could be a lot worse than expected.

On 24 January 2020, the authority announced that they would convert an empty building in Huangzhou District, Huanggang to a 1,000-bed hospital named Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre. Works began the next day by 500 personnel and the building began accepting patients on 28 January 2020 at 10:30 pm.

The British Government and National Health Service have set up a Coronavirus isolation facility at Arrowe Park Hospital in The Wirral for British people coming back on a special flight from Wuhan.

Reactions to prevention efforts

WHO response

The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the efforts of Chinese authorities in managing and containing the epidemic with its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressing "confidence in China's approach to controlling the epidemic" and calling for the public to "remain calm".

The WHO noted the contrast between the 2003 epidemic, where Chinese authorities were accused of secrecy that impeded prevention and containment efforts, and the current crisis where the central government "has provided regular updates to avoid panic ahead of Lunar New Year holidays." In reaction to the central authorities' decision to implement a transportation ban in Wuhan, WHO representative Gauden Galea remarked that while it was "certainly not a recommendation the WHO has made", it was also "a very important indication of the commitment to contain the epidemic in the place where it is most concentrated" and called it "unprecedented in public health history". Tedros states that "there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" and that "WHO doesn't recommend limiting trade and movement".

On 30 January 2020, following confirmation of human-to-human transmission outside of China and the increase in number of cases in other countries, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the sixth PHEIC since the measure was first invoked during the 2009 Swine flu pandemic. Tedros clarified that the PHEIC in this case was "not a vote of no confidence in China", but because of the risk of global spread, especially to low- and middle-income countries without robust health systems capable.

International reactions

On 29 January, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on measures to counter the spread of coronavirus in Russia.

On 30 January, US President Donald Trump received a briefing on the Coronavirus in China.

China's response to the virus, in comparison to the 2003 SARS outbreak, has been praised by some foreign leaders. US President Donald Trump thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping "on behalf of the American People" on 24 January 2020 on Twitter, stating that "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency" and declaring that "It will all work out well." Germany's health minister Jens Spahn, in an interview on Bloomberg TV, said with comparison to the Chinese response to SARS in 2003: "There's a big difference to SARS. We have a much more transparent China. The action of China is much more effective in the first days already." He also praised the international cooperation and communication in dealing with the virus.

At a Sunday mass at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on 26 January 2020, Pope Francis praised "the great commitment by the Chinese community that has already been put in place to combat the epidemic" and commenced a closing prayer for "the people who are sick because of the virus that has spread through China".

Criticism of local response

Local officials in Wuhan and the province of Hubei have faced criticism, both domestically and internationally, for mishandling the initial outbreak. Allegations included insufficient medical supplies, lack of transparency to the press and censorship of social media during the initial weeks of the outbreak. On 1 January 2020, the Wuhan police interviewed eight residents for spreading false information (characterising the new infection as SARS-like). The Wuhan police later stated through a post on its official Weibo account that "eight people had been dealt with according to the law." The police latter clarified through Weibo that they had only given out "education and criticism" and refrained from harsher punishments such as "warnings, fines, or detention."

Criticism was directed at Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong after he twice claimed at a press conference that 10.8 billion face masks were produced each year in the province. The accurate number is 1.8 billion.

Wuhan Police detained several Hong Kong media correspondents for over an hour when they were conducting interviews at Wuhan's Jinyintan Hospital on 14 January. Reports said the police brought the correspondents to a police station, where the police checked their travel documents and belongings, then asked them to delete video footage taken in the hospital before releasing them.

Authorities in Wuhan and Hubei provinces have been criticised for downplaying the severity of the outbreak and responding slower than they could have. The Beijing-based media journal, Caixin noted that Hubei did not roll out the first level of "public health emergency response mechanism" until 24 January, while several other provinces and cities outside of the centre of the outbreak have already done so the day before.

On 19 January, four days before the city's lockdown, a "Wan jia yan" (Chinese: 万家宴; lit. 'ten-thousand family banquet') was held in Wuhan, with over 40,000 families turning out at the banquet tables which attracted retrospective criticism. The domestic The Beijing News argued that the local authorities should not have held such a public assembly while attempting to control the outbreak. The paper also argued that the time when their journalists visited the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market where the coronavirus likely originated, most residents and merchants there weren't even donning face masks. Zhou Xianwang, the Mayor of Wuhan, later spoke to China Central Television defending that this banquet was held annually, and it is a "sample of the people's self-autonomy." He asserted that the decision of allowing such a banquet was made based on the fact that the scientists used to falsely believe that the ability of the virus to spread human-to-human was limited. Meanwhile, on 20 January, Wuhan's municipal department for culture and tourism was giving out 200,000 tickets good for visiting all tourist attractions in Wuhan to its citizens for free, which was then criticised for disregarding the outbreak.

Notable in relation to the widespread criticism of the local response, the central government's response has been contrasted with praise for their handling of the crisis by international experts, but also especially by state media. This has led to suggestions, in particular by "sections of the international media," that the tendency of provincial governments to minimise reporting local incidents have been because of the central governments directing the large proportion of the blame onto them. Critics, such as Wu Qiang, a former professor at Tsinghua University and Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the University of London, have further argued this with the latter suggesting that it was also exacerbated through local officials being "apprehensive about taking sensible preventive measures without knowing what Xi and other top leaders wanted as they feared that any missteps would have serious political consequences."The mayor of Wuhan, in particular, as response to those criticisms defended himself, referring to those suggestions by blaming regulatory requirements where local governments must first seek Beijing's approval which delayed disclosure of the epidemic. Tsinghua University's Qiang also echoed this sentiment, pointing out that the Wuhan government did not have the power to act decisively because they were at the bottom of the chain of command, saying "everyone – from the central government to the local government to the bureaucracy to the party to the military – was waiting for orders from the ‘supreme leader’ [Xi Jinping] before acting".

Tang Zhihong, the chief of the health department in Huanggang, the city with the second most cases in Hubei after Wuhan, was fired hours after she was unable to answer questions on how many people in her city were being treated. During an interview on state television, she responded to a central government inspection team who queried how many sick people may be in the city's care: "I don't know, I'm unclear, I only know how many beds there are. Don't ask me how many people are being treated."

Conspiracy theories

After the initial break-out, rumours spread online regarding the origin and scale of the coronavirus outbreak. Examples included that the virus was a bio-weapon, a population control scheme, or the result of a spy operation. Facebook, Twitter and Google have announced that they will crack down on possible misinformation.

On 2 February, the WHO declared that there was a "massive infodemic" accompanying the outbreak and response, citing an over-abundance of reported information, accurate and false, about the virus that "makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it." The WHO stated that the high demand for timely and trustworthy has incentivized the creation of a direct WHO 24/7 myth-busting hotline where its "technical risk communication and social media teams have been working closely to track and respond to myths and rumors" and posting those refutations on its various social media accounts along with its website.

Specific false claims include:

• Bat eating. Some media, including Daily Mail and RT, spread misinformation by promoting a video showing a woman biting into a bat, falsely suggesting it was shot in Wuhan and that the cause of the outbreak was people eating bats there. A widely circulated video features Chinese celebrity Wang Mengyun eating bat soup. Wang said she has received death threats, and she states the video was not filmed in Wuhan but in Palau where fruit bats are part of the local cuisine.
• Biological weapon. The BBC published an article summarising the misinformation about the virus. It cited two 24 January articles from the The Washington Times, which claimed the virus was part of China's biological weapons program. On 29 January, The Washington Post published an article debunking the biological weapons theory. The right-wing news site Zero Hedge claimed without any evidence that a scientist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology created the Wuhan coronavirus as a biological weapon. On 31 January 2020, Twitter permanently suspended the account of Zero Hedge due to the concern of disinformation.
• Chlorine dioxide. Some have falsely claimed that the virus can be cured through treatment with chlorine dioxide.
• Nurse whistleblower. A video circulated on the Internet featuring an alleged whistleblower, a woman named Jin Hui, who claims to be a nurse in Hubei province and describes the desperate situation in Wuhan. The video attracted millions of views on various social media platforms but the BBC noted that unlike the English subtitles, the woman does not claim to be either a nurse or a doctor in the video and her uniform and mask does not match the type worn by medical staff in Hubei region. Her claim of 100,000 infected cases and contagious rate of one to 14 people is also noted to be incorrect.
• Population control. Some conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers and alternative news media have alleged that the coronavirus was stolen from a Canadian virus research lab by Chinese scientists, citing a news article by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in July 2019. CBC claimed their early report was distorted by misinformation, and the conspiracy theory had 'no factual basis'. Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theorists movement and the anti-vax community also claimed the outbreak was a population control scheme created by Pirbright Institute in England, by comedian Sam Hyde, and by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.

Impact

The epidemic coincided with the New Year, which marks a major festival season for the region and the busiest travel period in China. A number of events involving large crowds were cancelled by national and regional governments, including the annual New Year festival in Hong Kong, with private companies also independently closing their shops and tourist attractions such as Hong Kong Disneyland.

As Mainland China is a major economy and a manufacturing hub, the viral outbreak has been seen to pose a major destabilising threat to the global economy. Agathe Demarais of the Economist Intelligence Unit has forecast that markets will remain volatile until a clearer image emerges on potential outcomes. Some analysts have estimated that the economic fallout of the epidemic on global growth could surpass that of the SARS outbreak.

Mainland China

Main article: Mainland China in 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak

The travel sector has been hit hard by travel restrictions and fears of contagion, including a ban on both domestic and international tour groups. Many airlines have either cancelled or greatly reduced flights to China and several travel advisories now warn against travel to China. Foreigners have been evacuated from Wuhan and Hubei province by many countries, including the United States and Japan.

The majority of schools and universities have extended their annual holidays to mid-February. Overseas students enrolled at Chinese universities have been returning home over fears of being infected—the first cases to be reported by Nepal and Kerala, a southern state of India, were both of students who had returned home.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has been recovering from high-profile protests that saw tourist arrivals from Mainland China plummet over an eight-month period. The viral epidemic has however placed doubt on the ability of the travel sector to withstand a prolonged period of downturn. A drop in arrivals from third countries more resilient during the previous months has also been cited as a concern. The city is already in recession and Moody has lowered the city's credit rating, also stating that the government had failed to respond to "to the concerns that have contributed to the continuing protests" and that decreasing autonomy of its economic and political system from Mainland China was undermining its credentials. The worst economic effects from the outbreak are expected for Australia, Hong Kong and China.

There has also been a renewed increase in protest activity as hostile sentiment against Mainland Chinese strengthens over fears of viral transmission from Mainland China, with many calling for the border ports to be closed and for all Mainland Chinese travellers to be refused entry. Incidents have included a number of petrol bombs being thrown at police stations, homemade bombs exploding in toilets, and foreign objects being thrown onto transit rail tracks between Hong Kong and the Mainland Chinese border. Political issues raised have included concerns that Mainland Chinese may prefer to travel to Hong Kong to seek free medical help (which has since been addressed by the Hong Kong government).

Since the outbreak of the virus, a significant number of products have been sold out across the city, including face masks and disinfectant products (such as alcohol and bleach). An ongoing period of panic buying has also caused many stores to be cleared of non-medical products such as bottled water, vegetables and rice. The Government of Hong Kong had its imports of face masks cancelled as global face masks stockpiles decline.

In view of the coronavirus outbreak, the Education Bureau closed all kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and special schools until 17 February. This was later extended to 1 March due to further development of the epidemic. The disruption has raised concerns over the situation of students who are due to take examinations at the end of the year, especially in light of the protest-related disruption that happened in 2019.

Japan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said that "the new coronavirus is having a major impact on tourism, the economy and our society as a whole". Japan has been evacuating its citizens from Hubei province in China, three of whom were confirmed to be infected with the Wuhan virus and twelve of whom have been hospitalised. The first domestic local transmission of the virus was confirmed on 28 January when a tourist bus driver in Nara Prefecture became infected despite having never been to China – a day later, the tour guide on the same tourist bus was also confirmed to be infected. Another tour guide who was identified whilst in South Korea as being infected, unrelated to the previous tour guide reported as infected in Nara, is suspected to have contracted the virus whilst in Japan from another person who has also been confirmed infected. The health minister has said that the situation has not reached a point where mass gathering must be called off.

The epidemic is expected to have a negative impact on the economy of Japan. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley predicts that the economic fallout of the epidemic would be worse than that of SARS since tourism plays a larger part in the current Japanese economy. Economic politician Yasutoshi Nishimura also warned that the viral epidemic could have a strong impact on the Japanese economy due to disruption of logistics and factory operations. Japanese airlines have started suspending flights to China and JTB, the country's largest travel agency, has cancelled all tours to China. Manufacturers, including Toyota, have halted all their production lines in Mainland China and Honda has evacuated all its staff from Wuhan. Prime Minister Abe has considered using emergency funds to mitigate the outbreak's impact on tourism, of which Chinese nationals account for 40%. S&P Global noted that the worst hit shares were from companies spanning travel, cosmetics and retail sectors which are most exposed to Chinese tourism. It is noted that increased sales of face masks and protective gear are unlikely to compensate for the economic downturn.

Chinese, or people assumed to be Chinese, have reported discrimination in Japan as Japanese people fear possible viral contagion. There have been reports that face masks have been selling out across the nation and that there has been pressure placed on the healthcare system as demands for medical checkups increase. Shops have said that their stocks are depleted within a day of new arrivals.

Australia

Australia is expected to be one of three economies worst affected by the epidemic, along with Mainland China and Hong Kong. It will cost the economy billions of dollars. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that the country would be impacted by the events unfolding in Mainland China and that he would no longer be able to promise a budget surplus. Bloomberg opinioned it was clear that the country, a major exporter of coal to China, would certainly "take a hit". The economic cost of the coronavirus in Australia "almost wholly depends on the indirect effects of the decisions that many millions of individuals make to minimise their chance of catching the virus, and the decision of governments on how to react to the threat" according to a quotation in ABC News. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated in late January that 20,000 jobs would be lost.

China is responsible for around one-third of all exports from Australia. An estimate on the total cost to the Australian economy placed it as being "far higher" than $1 billion, a figure calculated from the cost to the tourism sector of a two-month travel ban. Shares in companies in the tourism, consumer and mining stocks "tumbled" over fears surrounding the outbreak and it is thought to have contributed to a drop in Australia's currency.

Southeast Asia

Among Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, the city-state of Singapore was forecast to be one of the worst hit countries by Maybank. Economists have advised that the viral outbreak would have an impact on the economy of the country, but that it was too soon to provide a certain answer. The tourism sector was considered to be an "immediate concern" along with the effects on production lines due to disruption to factories and logistics in Mainland China. Singaporeans have been stocking up on face masks, themometers and sanitation products despite being advised against so by the government.

Maybank economists had also rated Thailand as being most at risk, with the threat of the viral outbreak's impact on tourism has causing the Baht to fall to a seven-month low.

In Malaysia, economists predict the outbreak will affect the country's GDP, trade and investment flows, commodity prices and tourist arrivals with varying degrees.

In Indonesia, 10000 Chinese tourists cancel trips to Bali over corona virus fears.

South Asia

India is highly dependent on trade across the Himalayas and the disruption in Mainland China could adversely impact the economy of India, especially the electronics and pharmaceutical industries, with the closure of Chinese ports having a knock-on effect on Indian logistic operations as well. Sri Lanka has warned of a short term impact on the tourism sector.

United States

The viral outbreak was cited by many companies in their briefings to shareholders, but several maintained confidence that they would not be too adversely affected by short-term disruption due to "limited" exposure to the Chinese consumer market, however those with manufacturing lines in Mainland China are warning about possible exposure to supply shortages.

Silicon Valley has been fearing serious disruption to its production lines as much of the technology sector relies on factories in Mainland China. Since there had been a scheduled holiday over Lunar New Year, the full effects of the outbreak on the tech sector aren't yet known for sure.

See also

• Xenophobia and racism from Wuhan coronavirus
• 2009 flu pandemic
• Emerging infectious disease
• Rousettus bat coronavirus HKU9

Further reading

Mainland China and Hong Kong

• Statutory Reporting of Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent. CHP, Hong Kong, (7 January 2020)

WHO

• World Health Organization (2020). Surveillance case definitions for human infection with novel coronavirus (nCoV): interim guidance v1, January 2020 (Report). World Health Organization. hdl:10665/330376. WHO/2019-nCoV/Surveillance/v2020.1.
• World Health Organization (2020). Laboratory testing of human suspected cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection: interim guidance, 10 January 2020 (Report). World Health Organization. hdl:10665/330374. WHO/2019-nCoV/laboratory/2020.1.

Europe

• "Cluster of pneumonia cases caused by a novel coronavirus, Wuhan, China". ECDP (17 January 2020)
• Threat level remains LOW but authorities raise alertness to symptoms MSN (22 January 2020)

External links

• Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation reports at WHO website, include official numbers of confirmed cases in countries of the world
• Live global map of Wuhan novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) spread using official Chinese sources by Medgic, updated daily
• Interactive global map of Wuhan novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) spread and spreadsheet by Johns Hopkins University, updated daily
• 2019-nCoV Data Portal – integrated data about the Wuhan novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the Virus Pathogen Resource
• CORONATRACKER – a community-based project by data scientists, medical professionals and web developers to keep track of and collect data about latest developments about 2019-nCoV
• "Coronavirus". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). February 2020.
• Geographical distribution of 2019-nCov cases by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• "Statement on the meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 (n-CoV) on 23 January 2020". World Health Organization (WHO).

Template:2019-nCoV

#invoke:Navbox #invoke:Navbox #invoke:Navbox