Early December:
The first patient with coronavirus began to have symptoms on December 1st, according to Chinese medical experts. However, conflicting reports from medical records and Chinese TV say that the first case originated on either December 8th or December 12th.
December 29th:
Four people with symptoms of the mysterious virus who worked at the Hunan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan were hospitalized. An investigation was launched into the market.
December 30th:
Dr. Li Wenliang, a doctor at Wuhan Central Hospital in Wuhan, China, posted a warning in an online forum on the mysterious virus. He and others were arrested by Chinese authorities. At this time, there were 27 suspected cases of the virus, many coming from the Hunan seafood wholesale market.
December 31st:
China alerts the World Health Organization about an unknown virus in Wuhan, China. Patients with the illness were quarantined. The first articles about the virus are posted online by Chinese and foreign media channels. Tao Lina, a public health expert in Beijing, says “I think we are [now] quite capable of killing it in the beginning phase.” A video shows the investigation of the Hunan Seafood market.
January 1st:
The Hunan Seafood Market closes in Wuhan. Laurie Garrett, a fellow at the council of foreign relations, says that “It is clear that a deadly respiratory disease has emerged in Wuhan, China.” She also states that scientists with knowledge of the virus “are required to keep secret”. A video shows a flight being checked that originated from Wuhan. There was a suspected case of the virus in Hong Kong.
January 2nd:
41 Cases of the new virus were identified up to this date. 27 of the cases originated from the Hunan seafood wholesale market. Hong Kong decides that if a patient has a fever, acute respiratory symptoms, and travel history to Wuhan in the last 14 days with entry into the seafood market, they will be quarantined.
January 3rd:
Chinese scientists identify the genetic sequence of the virus as ‘2019-nCoV’ from samples collected (Not released to WHO until January 9th). An additional 3 cases were identified, raising the number of cases to 44. 121 people were monitored. At this time, there was still no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan all announce that fever screenings will begin for people entering the areas who originated from Wuhan. A ‘Serious response level’ was activated in Hong Kong.
January 4th:
The United Nations activated its incident-management system in the region, meaning they were ready to launch a broader response if needed. The WHO states that China “has extensive capacity to respond to public health events and is responding proactively and rapidly to the current incident in Wuhan”. A suspected case of the virus was reported in Singapore (later tested negative). Virologists complained about the lack of information on the virus coming out from China.
January 5th:
There are 59 suspected cases of the new coronavirus with no deaths in Wuhan. There is still no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Ralph Baric, a virus research at the University of North Carolina, suggests that it’s not spreading from humans. There are 16 suspected cases of the virus in Hong Kong, with most testing negative and none confirmed.
January 6th:
Chinese authorities officially rule out influenza, avian flu, adenovirus, SARS or MERS. Thailand sets up health screenings for Wuhan passengers entering the country.
January 7th:
Authorities in Hong Kong are given the right to quarantine people suspected of having the virus. At this point, there are still no confirmed cases of the virus outside of Wuhan. Canadian authorities in Toronto say that the risk of the virus spreading to Toronto are “very low”. There are reports of Chinese authorities censoring tweets about the virus.
January 8th:
China announces the new virus is officially identified as 2019-nCoV. South Korea and Thailand both report suspected cases of the virus. The South Korean patient was a 36-year old who visited Wuhan and was quarantined in South Korea. CDC says that providers should “notify infection control personnel” if people who travelled to Wuhan have symptoms of the virus.
January 9th:
The first patient with the virus dies. He is a 61-year old man with pre-existing medical conditions and died from heart failure. The WHO called the discovery of the virus by China “a notable achievement”. An epidemiologist who helped discover the virus says “The virus appears not to be highly pathogenic or contagious (as SARS).”
January 10th:
The WHO says that it does not recommend any specific health measures for travellers to and from Wuhan, China. There are still no new updates on the virus from the numbers released on January 5th. Health experts suggest on social media that the virus may be spread via bats.
January 11th:
China announces the first death of the 61-year old man from the virus. A second suspected case in Singapore tests negative for the virus. China says that 41 of the cases suspected of coronavirus have been confirmed.
January 12th:
WHO says there is “no clear evidence” of human to human spreading of the virus. 717 people were under medical observation in Wuhan with symptoms of the virus.
January 13th:
A case of the coronavirus was confirmed in Thailand, the first case of the virus outside of China. The woman previously travelled to Wuhan, but had no contact with the seafood market, suggesting that the virus was spread beyond the market.
January 14th:
The WHO still states that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus. It is revealed that a married couple both have the virus in Wuhan (Confirmed cases still at 41). Hong Kong reporters covering the virus were asked to delete footage by Chinese authorities. Xu Jianguo, head of an evaluation committee, said that there has been no new patients since January 5 and quoted “people fear something like Sars in 2003, but this is a different case. The outbreak is limited.”
January 15th:
The second death involving the virus is reported in China. Scientists urge China to release more information on the virus.
January 16th:
Japan confirms the first confirmed case of coronavirus, marking the second international case of the virus. The patient had a travel history to Wuhan. The person was in contact with a person who had the virus.
January 17th:
A groundbreaking report from the the MRC Centre of Global Infectious Disease in the UK suggests that there are possibly over 1,000 cases of the virus in China. The report states that substantial human to human transmission cannot be ruled out. A second confirmed case of the virus is announced in Thailand. China’s head of the Assets Supervision and Administration Commission died from the virus. The CDC announces screenings for the virus at airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York’s JFK for passengers arriving from Wuhan.
January 18th:
The number of confirmed cases of the virus in China rises to 62. Scientists warn that the virus is much larger than reported. A WHO doctor states: “some limited human-to-human transmission, especially among families who have close contact with one another”. Reuters reports that in Wuhan “hospitals are full and there is a lot of fear among people with sick relatives.”
January 19th:
One case is reported in Guangdong and two in Beijing, marking the first cases in China outside of Wuhan. Chinese authorities confirm 201 cases of the virus, with the death toll at 3. Doctors in Wuhan, Changsha, Chengdu, Nanning, Guangzhou & Shenzhen are required to wear biochemical suits when dealing with suspected cases of the virus. The WHO still does not see grounds to restrict travel to or trade with China.
January 20th:
The first confirmed case of coronavirus is confirmed in South Korea. Three additional cases are reported in Beijing and Guangdong. Shanghai announces first case. Chinese doctors report that evidence shows the coronavirus is spreading between humans. Chinese President Xi Jinping announces that the virus has to be contained and that it is ‘extremely crucial’ to tackle the disease. Confirmed cases in China is now at 218, with 14 of them being in Guangdong. Researchers express fear of ‘super-spreaders’.
14 health care workers test positive for the virus. A video shows an isolation ward in Wuhan:
January 21st:
The World Health Organization convenes and discusses the coronavirus outbreak. Chinese officials say that anyone who covers anything up will “be nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity”. New locations including Zhejiang province and Tianjin report cases of the virus. Taiwan reports first case of the virus, making it the fourth country with confirmed cases.
The United States also confirms its first case, involving a patient who recently travelled to Wuhan. The CDC activates its Emergency Operations Center. North Korea closed all its borders to foreign visitors to prevent an outbreak. Videos show people being quarantined in Wuhan:
January 22nd:
Macau reports its first cases of the virus. Hong Kong reports two cases of coronavirus. Multiple cases were found in new districts of China. The total number of confirmed cases in China rises to 571 with the death toll at 17. Officials in China are given the right to forcibly quarantine people suspected of having the virus.
January 23rd:
Public transportation in Wuhan is shut down to curb the spread of coronavirus. All flights and trains leaving the city were cancelled as of 10 A.M.. Singapore and Vietnam both report first confirmed cases of the virus. Beijing cancelled all Chinese New Year celebrations. At this point there are 628 confirmed cases of the virus.
January 24th:
Multiple cities announce lockdown due to the Coronavirus in China. These cities include Huanggang, Xianning, and Chibu. Over 20 million people in total are under lockdown at this point. Shocking videos show people laying on the floor in Wuhan.
New cases of the virus are reported in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Nepal (first case). The first confirmed human-to-human case internationally was confirmed in Vietnam. Thailand resticted its flights to Wuhan. New research shows that the virus can be spread from humans even if they are symptom free.
Starbucks and McDonald’s announce the shutdown of stores in China’s Hubei province.
January 25th:
Additional cities in China implement lockdown orders to curb the spread of the virus. France confirms its first case of the virus, marking the first European case. Australia also confirms its first four cases of the virus. China banned all wild animal trade due to the virus. The Royal Caribbean Cruise operator banned all trips to China.
Canada confirms its first case. Malaysia also announces three additional cases of the virus. President Xi warns of the “accelerating spread” of the coronavirus and calls it a. “grave situation”. The number of confirmed cases worldwide is now at 1,126, surpassing 1,000.
January 26th:
The U.S. announces a special flight to evacuate citizens from Wuhan and confirms its three new cases. The WHO says that the global health risk from the virus is high. Wang Xianliang, a Hubei provincial government official, died from the virus.
Wuhan announces a ban on all private vehicles in urban areas. Hospitals in Wuhan ask for more supplies. New hospitals are under construction at this time for patients. Britain advises citizens in Wuhan: “If you are in this area and able to leave, you should do so.” The number of cases rises to over 2,000 and death toll is at 56. Multiple cities ban public events and gatherings in China. Most airports in Hubei begin to close.
January 27th:
China’s National Health Commission announces people with the virus are contagious during the incubation period and that the rate of spread has increased. Mongolia closes borders with China.
The CDC calls the virus an “emerging public health threat,” says threat is “serious”. It also states that the risk to the general public is low, but advises against travel to China. San Francisco activates its emergency operations center due to the virus. The Dow Jones closes down nearly 500 points due to concerns over the virus. There are now nearly 2,800 confirmed cases with 81 deaths in 11 countries.
January 28th:
The number of confirmed cases rises to over 4,000, with new cases in Germany, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. The death toll rises to over 100.
Japan reports its first case with no travel history to Wuhan. Hong Kong restricted travel to China’s mainland. China suspends stock trading on two of its major exchanges.
The cases in Germany are reported to be from people in the same company.
January 29th:
Nearly 6,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed at this point worldwide, including over 130 deaths. 59 of these cases are outside of China.
British Airways announces that it is restricting all flights to Beijing and Shanghai. The Beijing government says that the virus has come into the “spreading phase”. The UAE announces its first confirmed cases. Kazhakstan suspends busses, flights, and trains to and from Wuhan.
Trump forms a task force to stop the spread of the virus.
January 30th:
There are now nearly 8,000 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, with over 185 deaths. All regions in China officially report at least one confirmed case of the virus.
Italy, the Philippines, and India announce their first cases of the virus. Italy bans plane travel to China. The WHO says that the virus has “escalated into an unprecedented outbreak” and declares the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO does not recommend restrictions on trade or transportation. The U.S. State Department warns against all travel to China due to coronavirus and suggests that citizens leave China. Reports spread on the internet of masks selling out in urban areas in the United States.
January 31st:
There are now over 9,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with the death toll rising to over 200. Sweden, Spain, U.K., and Germany all report their first cases of the virus. Thailand confirms its first cases with human-to-human transmission.
Singapore announces a ban for all citizens who recently travelled to China. Italy declares a state of emergency due to the outbreak. The U.S. officially declares a public health emergency.
