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Do not fill this in! === 2020 === {{Hatnote|Timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by month: [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020|January]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020|February]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020|March]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020|April]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020|May]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020|June]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020|July]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020|August]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020|September]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020|October]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020|November]], [[Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020|December]]}} [[File:COVID-19 highway sign in Toronto, March 2020.jpg|thumb|A highway sign discouraging travel in [[Toronto]] in March 2020]] On 11 January, WHO was notified by the Chinese National Health Commission that the outbreak was associated with exposures in the market, and that China had identified a new type of coronavirus, which it isolated on 7 January.<ref name="WHO report" /> Initially, the number of cases doubled approximately every seven and a half days.<ref name="Qun29Jan2020" /> In early and mid-January, the virus spread to other [[Provinces of China|Chinese provinces]], helped by the [[Chunyun|Chinese New Year migration]]. Wuhan was a transport hub and major rail interchange.<ref name="WHO report 28 February 2020" /> On 10 January, the virus' genome was shared publicly.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Enserink |first1=Martin |title=Dispute simmers over who first shared SARS-CoV-2's genome |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/dispute-simmers-over-who-first-shared-sars-cov-2-s-genome |access-date=20 May 2023 |work=Science |date=29 March 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230330125412/https://www.science.org/content/article/dispute-simmers-over-who-first-shared-sars-cov-2-s-genome |archive-date=30 March 2023 }}</ref> A retrospective study published in March found that 6,174 people had reported symptoms by 20 January.<ref name="Epidemiology17Feb2020" /> A 24 January report indicated human transmission was likely occurring, and recommended [[personal protective equipment]] for health workers. It also advocated testing, given the outbreak's "pandemic potential".<ref name="Huang24Jan2020" /><ref name="Horton 18 March" /> On 31 January, the first published modelling study warned of inevitable "independent self-sustaining outbreaks in major cities globally" and called for "large-scale public health interventions."<ref name="pmid32014114">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Wu JT, Leung K, Leung GM | title = Nowcasting and forecasting the potential domestic and international spread of the 2019-nCoV outbreak originating in Wuhan, China: a modelling study | journal = Lancet | volume = 395 | issue = 10225 | pages = 689–697 | date = February 2020 | pmid = 32014114 | pmc = 7159271 | doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30260-9 }}</ref> On 30 January, 7,818 infections had been confirmed, leading WHO to declare the outbreak a [[Public Health Emergency of International Concern]] (PHEIC).<ref name="WHO_PHEICSR">{{#invoke:cite web || date=30 January 2020|title=Novel Coronavirus(2019-nCoV): Situation Report – 10|url=https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200130-sitrep-10-ncov.pdf|access-date=14 October 2020|publisher=[[World Health Organization]] (WHO)}}</ref><ref name="WHO_PHEIC_decl2" /><ref>{{#invoke:cite journal ||last1=Durrheim |first1=David N |last2=Gostin |first2=Laurence O |last3=Moodley |first3=Keymanthri |title=When does a major outbreak become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern? |journal=The Lancet Infectious Diseases |date=August 2020 |volume=20 |issue=8 |pages=887–889 |doi=10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30401-1 |pmid=32442526 |pmc=7237181 }}</ref> On 11 March, WHO announced its assessment that the situation could be characterized as a pandemic.<ref name=start>{{cite web |publisher=Word Health Organization |url=https://www.who.int/news/item/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19 |title=Archived: WHO Timeline - COVID-19 |date=27 April 2020 |access-date=7 March 2024 |archive-date=29 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429012212/https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref> By 31 January, Italy indicated its first confirmed infections had occurred, in two tourists from China.<ref name="Corriere_20Jan"/> On 19 March, Italy overtook China as the country with the most reported deaths.<ref name="sky11960412">{{#invoke:cite web || title=Coronavirus: Number of COVID-19 deaths in Italy surpasses China as total reaches 3,405 |url=https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-number-of-covid-19-deaths-in-italy-surpasses-china-as-total-reaches-3-405-11960412 |publisher=Sky News |access-date=7 May 2020}}</ref> By 26 March, the United States had overtaken China and Italy as the country with the highest number of confirmed infections.<ref name="NYT-20200326" /> Genomic analysis indicated that the majority of [[COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)|New York]]'s confirmed infections came from Europe, rather than directly from Asia.<ref name="20200408nytimes">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Studies Show N.Y. Outbreak Originated in Europe |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/us/coronavirus-live-updates.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=8 April 2020}}</ref> Testing of prior samples revealed a person who was infected in France on 27 December 2019<ref name="France-retest">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=After retesting samples, French hospital discovers COVID-19 case from December |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-idUSKBN22G20L | vauthors = Irish J |date=4 May 2020 | veditors = Lough R, Graff P |work=Reuters |access-date=4 May 2020 }}</ref><ref name="Deslandes 2020">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Deslandes A, Berti V, Tandjaoui-Lambotte Y, Alloui C, Carbonnelle E, Zahar JR, Brichler S, Cohen Y | title = SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading in France in late December 2019 | journal = International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents | volume = 55 | issue = 6 | page = 106006 | date = June 2020 | pmid = 32371096 | pmc = 7196402 | doi = 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106006 }}</ref> and a person in the United States who died from the disease on 6{{nbsp}}February.<ref name="PBS-2wks">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Bean |first1=Adam |title=2 died with coronavirus weeks before 1st U.S. virus death |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/2-died-with-coronavirus-weeks-before-1st-u-s-virus-death |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=PBS NewsHour |date=22 April 2020 }}</ref> [[File:Covid-19 San Salvatore 09.jpg|thumb|An exhausted [[Anesthesiology|anesthesiologist]] in [[Pesaro]], Italy, March 2020]] In October, WHO reported that one in ten people around the world may have been infected, or 780 million people, while only 35 million infections had been confirmed.<ref name="bbc_oneinten">{{#invoke:cite news||date=5 October 2020|title=One in 10 worldwide may have had Covid – WHO|publisher=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-54422023|access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> On 9 November, Pfizer released trial results for a candidate vaccine, showing a 90 percent effectiveness in preventing infection. That day, Novavax submitted an FDA Fast Track application for their vaccine.<ref name="FEv4C">{{#invoke:cite news|| vauthors = Boseley S, Olterman P |date=9 November 2020|title=Covid-19 vaccine candidate is 90% effective, says Pfizer|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/09/covid-19-vaccine-candidate-effective-pfizer-biontech|access-date=9 November 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name="NPZ5P">{{#invoke:cite news|| vauthors = Linnane C |title=Novavax wins FDA fast track designation for COVID-19 vaccine candidate|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/novavax-wins-fda-fast-track-designation-for-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-2020-11-09|access-date=9 November 2020|website=MarketWatch}}</ref> On 14 December, [[Public Health England]] reported that a variant had been discovered in the UK's southeast, predominantly in [[Kent]]. The variant, later named [[Variant of Concern 202012/01|Alpha]], showed changes to the [[coronavirus spike protein|spike protein]] that could make the virus more infectious. As of 13 December, 1,108 infections had been confirmed in the UK.<ref>{{#invoke:cite web || title=PHE investigating a novel strain of COVID-19|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-investigating-a-novel-strain-of-covid-19|website=GOV.UK|date=14 December 2020|access-date=15 December 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Le Page |first1=Michael |last2=McNamara |first2=Alexander |title=Alpha covid-19 variant (B.1.1.7) |url=https://www.newscientist.com/definition/uk-covid-19-variant-b-1-1-7/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=New Scientist}}</ref> On 4 February 2020, US Secretary of Health and Human Services [[Alex Azar]] waived liability for vaccine manufacturers in all cases except those involving "willful misconduct".<ref name="mXTUz">{{#invoke:cite web||date=4 February 2020|title=Notice of Declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for medical countermeasures against COVID-19|url=https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/prepact/Pages/COVID19.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425015411/https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/prepact/Pages/COVID19.aspx|archive-date=25 April 2020|access-date=22 April 2020|vauthors=Azar A}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Sigalos |first1=MacKenzie |title=You can't sue Pfizer or Moderna if you have severe Covid vaccine side effects. The government likely won't compensate you for damages either |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/16/covid-vaccine-side-effects-compensation-lawsuit.html |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=CNBC |date=17 December 2020 }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page