>Covid-19 Spreads Around the World
A Timeline
The 2019 outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The virus primarily attacks the respiratory system but can affect other organs. Initially, China claimed the disease could not spread from person to person, but this was false. China implemented extreme measures, locking down nearly 50 million people for months. By the end of January 2020, however, the virus had begun spreading worldwide. Italy was the first country to be hit hard, and its healthcare system soon became overwhelmed. The virus then spread to other countries in Europe and the Middle East. While governments responded differently, most imposed lockdowns. Initially, the UK resisted such measures, but as the death toll rose, they also issued stay-at-home orders. Sweden remained the only European country without such orders, and its death toll surged as a result.
In the United States, the first case of COVID-19 was detected in January 2020 in Washington State. Soon after, New York State became the epicenter of the outbreak. In New Rochelle, New York (home to historycentral), over 100 people were diagnosed, prompting the National Guard to quarantine the area. Despite school closures, the virus spread rapidly throughout the New York metro area, with over 1,000 people dying daily at its peak. New York alone saw over 471,000 cases and more than 33,000 deaths. Through strict measures, including the shutdown of all non-essential services, the Northeast brought the virus under control by late June, with daily cases dropping to 500-600. However, the virus spread to the Southeast and Southwest, affecting states like Florida, Texas, and California, though none experienced the death rates seen in New York, thanks to improved treatment protocols.
The pandemic caused an unprecedented economic halt, with industries such as travel and airlines coming to a standstill. Global unemployment soared, briefly surpassing 20% in the United States. By the end of summer 2020, the spread of the virus seemed to be slowing. However, whenever restrictions were relaxed, infection rates rose. As of September 5, 2020, there were 26,959,771 cases worldwide, with 881,529 deaths. In the U.S., there were 6,413,086 cases and 192,458 deaths. By mid-October, global cases reached 40 million, with 1.1 million deaths, while the U.S. recorded 8.27 million cases and over 221,000 deaths.
While infection numbers decreased in late summer, by October, much of the U.S. and Europe were experiencing a new wave, which seemed the strongest yet. This wave intensified, and by December, the U.S. was reporting over 200,000 new cases daily, with deaths surpassing 1,800 per day. However, by mid-November, two companies developing vaccines reported positive results from their Phase 3 trials.
As the third wave continued, daily deaths in the U.S. averaged 2,500 by early December 2020. December 14 marked a pivotal day: on the positive side, Pfizer’s vaccine reached the first U.S. hospitals after FDA approval on December 11. On the negative side, the U.S. surpassed 300,000 deaths. By January 8, 2021, U.S. deaths had exceeded 365,000, with daily deaths surpassing 3,000. Vaccinations had begun but were slower than anticipated, with only 4.5 million people receiving the first dose by that date.
By mid-February 2021, cases in the U.S. and globally began to decline. Hospitalizations and deaths fell to 50% of their January peaks, and vaccinations accelerated. The vaccines proved highly effective, but on February 23, the U.S. reached a grim milestone of 500,000 deaths. The successful vaccine rollout greatly reduced the death toll. By mid-June, several U.S. states had vaccinated 70% of their populations, leading states like New York and California to lift most restrictions. However, by mid-June, the U.S. death toll had reached 600,000, and worldwide deaths stood at 3.85 million.
Just when it seemed that COVID-19 was waning, the highly contagious Delta variant emerged, becoming the dominant strain in much of the world, including the U.S. In areas with lower vaccination rates, hospitals again filled with patients, and deaths began to rise. Even vaccinated individuals experienced breakthrough cases.
By August, the U.S. death rate had risen to 1,000 per day, with hospitals, especially in the South, reaching capacity. On August 23, the FDA granted full approval for the Pfizer vaccine, allowing the U.S. military and public entities, including the New York School System, to mandate vaccinations for employees.
By fall 2021, the virus had spread to the Midwest. In November, a new variant, Omicron, was discovered in South Africa. Far more infectious than Delta, Omicron spread quickly during the winter of 2021/22. However, the death rate did not rise as sharply. In May 2022, the U.S. surpassed 1 million deaths from COVID-19.
While Americans tried to return to normal in the summer of 2022, COVID-19 persisted. A new subvariant, BA.5, became dominant, and the U.S. continued to see an average of 400 daily deaths. On September 1, 2022, new booster vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, targeting Omicron, were approved. On May 12, 2023, the U.S. officially ended the COVID-19 health emergency, though the virus continued to cause deaths, albeit at reduced rates of under 400 per week.
Here is a timeline of events that have taken place
December 31, 2019, China reports many cases of pneumonia from an unknown source.
January 7, 2020 Outbreak defined as a new coronavirus- Designated COVID-19
January 11, 2020, China reports first death
January 20, 2020, WHO reports first cases outside of China in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea
January 21-2020 US announces its first confirmed case a 30-year-old from Washington State
January 23, 2020, China puts Wuhan with its 11 million people under quarantine
January 30, 2020, WHO declares a global health emergency
January 31, 2020, US bans entry to foreign national who traveled to China
February 2, 2020, First death outside China
February 4, 2020, Diamond Princess cruise ship is quarantined in Yokohoma- 3,700 people on board
February 9, 2020 Death Toll exceeds SARS outbreak when it reaches 811 in China
February 14,2020First case in Egypt and the first death in France
February 19, 2020, Iran Reports two cases and two deaths
February 20, 2020, South Korea reports 104 cases and the first death
February 24, 2020 Cases Begin to Spike in Italy with six deaths- Stocks begin one of many drops
Febriuary 25, 2020 "community spread" and "significant disruption" coming soon.
February 26, 2020, California reports its first case with no known source. President Trump: "When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done."
February 29, 2020, the US stops people coming from Iran recommends not traveling to Italy and; South Korea. First US death in Washington state
March 6, 2020, Trump signs $8.3Billion stimulus as major conference including SXSW are canceled
March 8, 2020, Italy locks down the Lombardy region housing 16 million people, and US cases top 500
March 10, 2020, Italy Expands the lockdown to include the whole country, while Iran numbers spike to over 8,000
March 11, 2020 Outbreak defined as a pandemic, NBA cancel season Tom Hanks announces that he and his wife COVID 19- President Trump bans travel from Europe
March 12, 2020, NHL announces pause in season Italian death toll passes 1,000
March 13, 2020, President Trump declares and national state of emergency
March 14, 2020, Spain cases spike to, 3,800 and the country enters a lockdown
March 15, 2020, Italian death toll passes 1,800 US cases pass 3,000. Widespread US school closings
March 16, 2020, Canada closes its borders, Italian cases rise to 28,000 while the death toll rises to 2,158. San Francisco tells everyone to stay home. France restricts movement while President Trump announces CDC guidelines.
March 18, 2020, Canada and US close border, Belgium announces a lockdown. President Trump signs coronavirus aid bill to provide free testing and paid leave
March 19, Canada Reports no new cases from domestic sources. Australia and New Zealand close their borders. Italy passes China with the most deaths. US State Department issues a do not travel warning to all American citizens. California issues a stay at home order
March 20, 2020 death toll in Spain cases 1,000 as the US Mexican border is closed. NYC becomes the epicenter of crisis as cases exceed 5000, and deaths March 29 21 Jordan order a nationwide curfew. New York State numbers pass 10,000. New Jersey issues a state at home order
March 22, 2020 Global cases pass 3000,000 with 13,000 deaths. Senator Rand Paul tests positive. Ohio and Louisiana governors issue stay at home orders
March 24- Tokyo Olympic delayed by one year. President Trump states the US will go back to work by Easter.
March 29 2020 President Trump announces that return to work will not start until end of April, expect 200,000 deaths
April 2, Cases pass 1 million in the world
April 3, Economic impact of virus is estimated at between 2- 4 Trillioin dollars
April 6 Estimates that 90% of children throughout the world are effected by school closings. Prime Minister of Great Britain is admitted to Intensive care
April 24- Georgia reopens all of its retail sector
April 28 US cases surpass 1 Million
May 8, 2020 US Unemployment rate reached 14.7% the hightest number since the Great Depression. The US lost 20.5 million jobs in April.
May 11, 2020- Deaths in the US pass 80,000
May 27, 2020 Deaths in the US pass 100,000. All states have started opening to some extent or another; Disney World announced that it would open in mid-July
June 20- A pattern developed in the US were the early states have seen a stready decrease in cases while the states in the South and the West which open up fully are seeing rapid increase in the number of cases. Meanwhile in the world the numbers continue rise with 8,705,724 total cases as of 6/20 with 461,037 deaths. Brazil and Russia have been leading the world in cases.
July 23 Cases of Covid-19 have been rising rapidly in all of the Southeast and Southwest as well as California. The number of cases in the US passes 4 million and the daily death toll passes 1,000 the first time since the first wave hit New York in April. President Trump announces that he is canceling the Republican Convention in Jacksonville Florida.
October 1, President Trump Announces that he has tested positive for Covid-19 the next day he flew by helicopter to Walter Reed Medical Center
October 3, Trump left the hospital and within a week seemed to have recovered. He began having large rallies for his reelction.
November 1, The US experienced a third wave with rapidly increasing cases. Europe experienced a large outbreak as well.
November 20 Pfizer requests emergeny approval for its Covid-19 vaccine from the FDA.
December 11, FDA grants Pfizer emegency authorization to distribute its vaccine
December 14, The US passes 300,000 dead
February 22 the US passes 500,000 dead
June 15 the US passes 600,000 dead
August 1, 2021 the Delta Variant became the dominant variant in the US and cases and hospitalizations rose substantially.
August 23, 2021: The US Food and Drug Adminstration gave full approval (instead of Emergency Approval) to the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine. The US military madates the all servicemen and women become vaccinated
November 2021 Omicron variant discovered in South Africa.
January 2022: Supreme Court rules that vaccines mandates for large corporations was an overstep but approved the mandate for health workers.
May 2022: Total deaths in the US passed 1 million. Worldwide Covid 19 is believed to have killed over 6 million people.
September 2022- New vaccines from both Pfizer and Morderna were approved. They were modified to target the Omicron variants.
May 2023- Covid Emergency in US ends
Cases in the US
3/1: 89
3/2: 105
3/3: 125
3/4: 159
3/5: 227
3/6: 331
3/7: 444
3/8: 564
3/9: 728
3/10: 1000
3/11: 1267
3/12: 1645
3/13: 2204
3/14: 2826
3/15: 3505
3/16: 4466
3/17: 6135
3/18: 8760
3/19: 13229
3/20: 18763
3/21: 25740
3/22: 34276
3/23: 42663
3/24: 52976
3/25: 65,273
3/26 82,135
3/27/ 101,295
3/28 121,176
3/29 139,773
3/30 160,718
4/6 357,036
4/7 398,185
4/8 429,052
4/10 499,252
4/13 557,590
4/18 582,594
4/20 759,786
4/22 825,306
4/25 903,764
5/1 1,079,943
5/6 1,215,613
5/13 1,384,424
5/27 1,680,625
6/19 2,228,368,
6/27 2,482,014
7/10 3,155,650
7/23 4,005,414
8/7 4,884,985
9/5 6,224,819
9/27 6,766,137
10/5 7,644,501
10/20 8,275,093
11/1 9,125,482
11/21 11,928,902
12/3 14,061616
1/7/2021 21,567,44
2/22/2021 28,808,513
6/21/2021 33,500,000
8/04/2021 36,055,915
8/23/2021 38,583,458
12/27/2021 53,222,424
5/25/2022 81,851,405
9/4/2022 96,616,505
5/15/2023 106,792,474
Deaths in the US
3/1: 2
3/2: 6
3/3: 9
3/4: 11
3/5: 12
3/6: 17
3/7: 19
3/8: 21
3/9: 26
3/10: 31
3/11: 38
3/12: 41
3/13: 49
3/14: 58
3/15: 65
3/16: 87
3/17: 111
3/18: 149
3/19: 195
3/20: 263
3/21: 323
3/22: 413
3/23: 541
3/24: 704
3/25: 938
3/26: 1,195
3/27: 1,588
3/28: 2,043
3/30 3,002
4/7 12,844
4/8 14,695
4/10 18,637
4/11 20,604
4/12 22,073
4/14 23649
4/20/ 40,683
4/22 45,075
4/25 51,685
5/1 63,615
5/6 72,229
5/13 83,557
5/27 98,902
119,241
2/27 125,741
7/10 134,413
7/23 143,820
8/7 160,115
9/5 189,039
9/17 200,042
10/5 214,694
10/20 221,083
11/1 230,548
11/21 254,560
12/3/ 275,256
12/14/ 300,000
1/8/2021 365,102
2/22 500,000
6/18 601,000
8/04 630,532
8/23/21 645,188
12/27/21 837,854
5/26/2022 1,030,414
9/4/2022 1,072,930
5/15/2023 1,162,701