(and December 2019)

(Timeline)

Return to the latest news on the news timeline

Back to April 1, 2020

March 31, 2020

ABC News (Australia): Can Singapore’s coronavirus success last? (March 31, 2020):

Al Jazeera: Can the United States control its coronavirus outbreak? (March 31, 2020):

STAT: As coronavirus spreads, doctors in the ER warn ‘the worst of it has not hit us yet’

CNN: Dr. Anthony Fauci: This is a critical time … (Mar 31, 2020):

STAT: STAT’s guide to how hospitals are using AI to fight Covid-19

UN: UN launches COVID-19 plan that could ‘defeat the virus and build a better world’

This includes social protections such as debt alleviation.

STAT: A radical approach to preventing Covid-19 infection in the homeless

Science: Can you put a price on COVID-19 options? Experts weigh lives versus economics

Science: Should pets be tested for coronavirus?

Science: 1.3 billion people. A 21-day lockdown. Can India curb the coronavirus?

Science: With record-setting speed, vaccinemakers take their first shots at the new coronavirus

Science: Speed coronavirus vaccine testing by deliberately infecting volunteers? Not so fast, some scientists warn

Science: The $1 billion bet: Pharma giant and U.S. government team up in all-out coronavirus vaccine push

March 30, 2020

STAT: What explains Covid-19’s lethality for the elderly? Scientists look to ‘twilight’ of the immune system

“Older people are not as good at reacting to microorganisms they haven’t encountered before,” said physician and immunobiologist Janko Nikolich-Zugich of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He refers to it as “the twilight of immunity.”

STAT: Ventilators are in high demand for Covid-19 patients. How do they work? (VIDEO)

STAT: Biotech VC Bob Nelsen called it right on the coronavirus. Now he has thoughts on therapeutics — and masks

“Stanley Plotkin is consulting for multiple companies and says more than one vaccine may be needed in this new pandemic.”

STAT: A plea from doctors in Italy: To avoid Covid-19 disaster, treat more patients at home
(March 21, 2020)

March 20, 2020

STAT: Understanding what works: How some countries are beating back the coronavirus

STAT: ‘A lose-lose situation’: Assisted living residents may see lapses in care during pandemic

March 19, 2020

Gov.sg: How a breakthrough lab test and expert contact tracing solved the mystery behind one of the largest COVID-19 clusters
MOVED OR REMOVED

The world can learn from the efforts Singapore takes to test and contract trace. Contract tracing is essentially detective work to learn exactly how the virus is spreading between individuals in a population.

STAT: An updated guide to the coronavirus drugs and vaccines in development

STAT: Drug makers are racing to develop immune therapies for Covid-19. Will they be ready in time?

STAT: Teva and Mylan to jumpstart production of old malaria drug to fight the novel coronavirus

Science: New blood tests for antibodies could show true scale of coronavirus pandemic

Science: Fetal tissue ban blocks study of potential coronavirus therapies

Physics World: COVID-19: How physics is helping the fight against the pandemic

STAT: Trump’s coronavirus pivot, life inside the ICU, drug development in a pandemic
(AUDIO)

Kurzgesagt – in a nutshell: The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do
(March 19, 2020)

An excellent video that explains the Covid-19 pandemic in some detail.
Note that scientists are not certain about how many Covid-19 patients have the immune system directly attacked in the very way that is explained in this video. It seems to happen in the most serious cases.

March 18, 2020

STAT: Frustrated and afraid about protective gear shortages, health workers are scouring for masks on their own

STAT: We know enough now to act decisively against Covid-19. Social distancing is a good place to start

STAT: The economic rationale for strong action now against Covid-19

STAT: ‘It’s been kind of rough’: At the epicenter of the pandemic, a Seattle ICU nurse treats two patients at a time

STAT: New analysis breaks down age-group risk for coronavirus — and shows millennials are not invincible

STAT: WHO to launch multinational trial to jumpstart search for coronavirus drugs

Science: Respirators, quarantines, and worst-case scenarios: Lab animal facilities grapple with the pandemic

March 17, 2020

CNN: US, UK coronavirus strategies shifted following UK epidemiologists’ ominous report

There are still so many uncertainties. The eventual number of deaths predicted through models can vary widely based on assumptions made on still unknown properties of the virus, but this report was meant to show how necessary flattening the curve through social distancing is for both the US and the UK. The UK had originally decided not to impose social distancing measures, but then later reversed their decision to take the measures. The number of deaths in April will likely give evidence of the cost in lives of this delay.

STAT: Explaining a mass quarantine: What does it mean to ‘shelter in place’? And who has the power to call for it?

STAT: A fiasco in the making? As the coronavirus pandemic takes hold, we are making decisions without reliable data

STAT: Surge in patients overwhelms telehealth services amid coronavirus pandemic

NYT: Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired (Opinion)

Science: Coronavirus cases have dropped sharply in South Korea. What’s the secret to its success?

March 16, 2020

Boston Globe: Here’s what we know about how the coronavirus spreads

STAT: As the coronavirus spreads, a drug that once raised the world’s hopes is given a second shot

STAT: The new coronavirus can likely remain airborne for some time. That doesn’t mean we’re doomed

STAT: Coronavirus model shows individual hospitals what to expect in the coming weeks

WhiteHouse.gov: Call to Action to the Tech Community on New Machine Readable COVID-19 Dataset

“The CORD-19 resource is available on the Allen Institute’s SemanticScholar.org website and will continue to be updated as new research is published in archival services and peer-reviewed publications. Researchers should submit the text and data mining tools and insights they develop in response to this call to action via the Kaggle platform. Through Kaggle, a machine learning and data science community owned by Google Cloud, these tools will be openly available for researchers around the world.”

STAT: In strictest U.S. coronavirus response so far, six Bay Area counties order ‘shelter in place’

“The six counties affected by the order — Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara — have confirmed 258 coronavirus cases, as well as three deaths.”
“The order allows residents to leave their homes for limited purposes, such as to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy, or to go for a solitary walk or run. It also allows people to leave their homes to care for a family member or a vulnerable person in another household. People who live outside the affected counties will also be able to leave to return to their homes.”
“People will also be allowed to travel if they work for ‘essential businesses’.”

STAT: Lower death rate estimates for coronavirus, especially for non-elderly, provide glimmer of hope

The new estimate of 1.4% is “significantly below earlier estimates of 2% or 3% and well below the death rate for China based on simply dividing deaths by cases, which yields almost 4%. While it is still higher than the average 0.1% death rate from seasonal flu, it raises hopes that the worst consequence of the coronavirus will be uncommon.”

Science: Social distancing prevents infections, but it can have unintended consequences

Science: Disease experts call for nationwide closure of U.S. schools and businesses to slow coronavirus

March 15, 2020

Science: ‘A ticking time bomb’: Scientists worry about coronavirus spread in Africa

March 14, 2020

BBC: Coronavirus: What it does to the body

STAT: Hospital workers across the U.S. present sharply different pictures of their preparedness for the coronavirus

STAT: Thermo Fisher to produce millions of coronavirus diagnostic tests

Science: Meet Anthony Fauci, the epidemic expert trying to shape the White House’s coronavirus response

March 13, 2020

STAT: A new paper about a Gilead drug to combat coronavirus has some analysts skittish about success

Gilead developed remdesivir to treat the Ebola virus, but tests ended up showing it was less effective than other drugs.

STAT: President Trump just declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. Here’s what that means

STAT: Coronavirus testing is starting to get better — but it has a long way to go

Science: Did an experimental drug help a U.S. coronavirus patient?

“Several randomized, placebo controlled trials of remdesivir for COV-19 are now underway in China and the United States and everyone is looking for quick hints on whether the drug works”

Science: Why do dozens of diseases wax and wane with the seasons—and will COVID-19?

March 12, 2020

STAT: Q&A: How to care for the elderly without putting them at risk of coronavirus

STAT: Covid-19 will be the ultimate stress test for electronic health record systems

Science: Quarantine the cat? Disinfect the dog? The latest advice about the coronavirus and your pets

Science: Does disinfecting surfaces really prevent the spread of coronavirus?

March 11, 2020

WHO DECLARES A COVID-19 PANDEMIC

STAT: WHO declares the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic

STAT: NIH official suggests large gatherings should be canceled due to coronavirus outbreak

STAT: Why ‘flattening the curve’ may be the world’s best bet to slow the coronavirus

STAT: CDC developing serologic tests that could reveal full scope of U.S. coronavirus outbreak

STAT: Researchers rush to test coronavirus vaccine in people without knowing how well it works in animals

STAT: Trump suspends travel from Europe for 30 days in response to coronavirus outbreak

Science: ‘We’re behind the curve’: U.S. hospitals confront the challenges of large-scale coronavirus testing

March 10, 2020

STAT: What does the coronavirus mean for the U.S. health care system? Some simple math offers alarming answers

Tomas Pueyo: Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now

STAT: The coronavirus outbreak has left medical supplies in short supply. Is the nation’s emergency stockpile ready to help?

STAT: If Covid-19 gets bad, triage will be needed. Are we ready for that?

STAT: U.S. communities are braced for coronavirus outbreaks. Seattle is already in the thick of it

STAT: Shortage of crucial chemicals creates new obstacle to U.S. coronavirus testing

Science: Does closing schools slow the spread of coronavirus? Past outbreaks provide clues

Boston Globe: How the Biogen leadership conference in Boston spread the coronavirus (PAYWALL)

March 9, 2020

STAT: To develop a coronavirus vaccine, synthetic biologists try to outdo nature

STAT: How touching your face can spread viruses — and why you’re so bad at avoiding it

STAT: Doctors working while sick is bad enough in ordinary times. During the Covid-19 outbreak it could be catastrophic

STAT: People ‘shed’ high levels of coronavirus, study finds, but most are likely not infectious after recovery begins

STAT: Coronavirus spread could last into next year, but impact could be blunted, CDC official says

Science: Mutations can reveal how the coronavirus moves—but they’re easy to overinterpret

March 7, 2020

STAT: At Harvard forum, three who know warn of ‘most daunting virus’ in half a century

March 6, 2020

STAT: We’re learning a lot about the coronavirus. It will help us assess risk

STAT: Susan Desmond-Hellmann: The coronavirus is alarming. Here’s why you should not panic

Science: Why airport screening won’t stop the spread of coronavirus

Science: Quarantined at home now, U.S. scientist describes his visit to China’s hot zone

Science: Coronavirus disruptions could hurt North Korea’s efforts to treat tuberculosis

March 5, 2020

STAT: Flu has a season, but will Covid-19 melt away with the spring? It’s not so simple
(VIDEO)

STAT: From ferrets to mice and marmosets, labs scramble to find right animals for coronavirus studies

STAT: How blood plasma from recovered patients could help treat the new coronavirus

STAT: Pharma’s response to coronavirus, Google’s appetite for health data, and biotech’s rise in China (AUDIO)

Science: With $115 million, more than 80 Boston researchers will collaborate to tackle COVID-19

March 4, 2020

STAT: How innovation is helping mitigate the coronavirus threat

March 3, 2020

STAT: Who is getting sick, and how sick? A breakdown of coronavirus risk by demographic factors

STAT: WHO: Coronavirus is different from influenza, and that means it can be contained

STAT: Washington State risks seeing explosion in coronavirus cases without dramatic action, new analysis says

Science: Indonesia finally reports two coronavirus cases. Scientists worry it has many more

March 2, 2020

STAT: Research in the time of coronavirus: keep it ethical

STAT: The coronavirus exposes our health care system’s weaknesses. We can be stronger

Science: China’s aggressive measures have slowed the coronavirus. They may not work in other countries

March 1, 2020

STAT: ‘Speed is critical’: As coronavirus spreads in U.S., officials face daunting task of tracing case contacts

February 29, 2020

STAT: Person in Washington state first in U.S. to die from new coronavirus

STAT: Trump administration expands coronavirus travel ban to include Iran

STAT: First Covid-19 outbreak in a U.S. nursing home raises concerns

Science: In bid to rapidly expand coronavirus testing, U.S. agency abruptly changes rules

February 28, 2020

STAT: Telehealth can help fight the novel coronavirus, but U.S. challenges could limit its potential

STAT: Quarantine for coronavirus? Let’s make that unnecessary

STAT: The coronavirus ‘infodemic’ is real. We rated the websites responsible for it

STAT: Four new coronavirus cases in Pacific Northwest suggest community spread of the disease

Science: The United States badly bungled coronavirus testing—but things may soon improve

February 27, 2020

STAT: A critical question in getting a handle on coronavirus: What role do kids play in spreading it?

STAT: A single coronavirus case exposes a bigger problem: The scope of undetected U.S. spread is unknown

STAT: Azar has a ‘tin ear’ when it comes to pricing a potential coronavirus treatment

Science: Singapore claims first use of antibody test to track coronavirus infections

February 26, 2020

STAT: Coronavirus vaccines are far off, FDA official says, but drugs to treat patients could come sooner

February 25, 2020

STAT: Coronavirus cases among health workers climb, underscoring the chaos on an outbreak’s front lines

STAT: In the race for coronavirus vaccines, don’t leave pregnant women behind

STAT: CDC expects ‘community spread’ of coronavirus, as top official warns disruptions could be ‘severe’

STAT: New data from China buttress fears about high coronavirus fatality rate, WHO expert says

Science: Coronavirus infections keep mounting after cruise ship fiasco in Japan

Science: The coronavirus seems unstoppable. What should the world do now?

February 24, 2020

STAT: A Chinese biotech partners with GSK to boost its coronavirus vaccine development

STAT: WHO tells countries to prepare for coronavirus pandemic, but insists it’s too soon to make that call

February 21, 2020

STAT: Once widely criticized, the Wuhan quarantine bought the world time to prepare for Covid-19

STAT: The coronavirus is picking up steam outside China, narrowing chances of eliminating it

February 20, 2020

STAT: Experts say confusion over coronavirus case count in China is muddying picture of spread

Science: First deaths of cruise ship passengers fuel debate over Japan’s handling of quarantine

February 19, 2020

STAT: How many? The coronavirus is prompting a burst of clinical trials in search of a treatment

Science: Scientists ‘strongly condemn’ rumors and conspiracy theories about origin of coronavirus outbreak

Science: Scientist decries ‘completely chaotic’ conditions on cruise ship Japan quarantined after viral outbreak

February 18, 2020

STAT: Sanofi announces it will work with HHS to develop coronavirus vaccine

February 17, 2020

STAT: The global responders: Who is leading the charge against the coronavirus outbreak

Science: ‘The disruption is enormous.’ Coronavirus epidemic snarls science worldwide

February 14, 2020

STAT: Disease modelers gaze into their computers to see the future of Covid-19, and it isn’t good

February 13, 2020

STAT: Watch: Why reports about coronavirus death rates can be misleading

February 12, 2020

STAT: Understanding pandemics: What they mean, don’t mean, and what comes next with the coronavirus

STAT: CDC director: More person-to-person coronavirus infections in U.S. likely, but containment still possible

February 11, 2020

STAT: U.S. biotechs fear the coronavirus outbreak will delay their China-based research

STAT: Hospitals, governments need more data to prepare for the new coronavirus outbreak

STAT: Disease caused by the novel coronavirus officially has a name: Covid-19

STAT: Major drug makers haven’t stepped up to manufacture NIH coronavirus vaccine, top U.S. health official says

Science: Labs scramble to spot hidden coronavirus infections

February 10, 2020

STAT: Fluctuating funding and flagging interest hurt coronavirus research, leaving crucial knowledge gaps

February 8, 2020

STAT: ‘We’re definitely not prepared’: Africa braces for new coronavirus

STAT: WHO cautions that transmission of the new coronavirus outside of China could increase

February 7, 2020

STAT: ‘We need everyone for this’: U.S. hospitals harnessing resources to brace for any spike in coronavirus cases

Science: Scientists are racing to model the next moves of a coronavirus that’s still hard to predict

STAT: Coronavirus concerns trigger global run on supplies for health workers, causing shortages

February 6, 2020

STAT: In effort to develop coronavirus vaccine, outbreak expert sees ‘hardest problem’ of his career

NatGeo: ‘I can’t wait to hold my kids again’: Life inside Wuhan’s quarantine

February 5, 2020

STAT: In the race to develop a coronavirus treatment, Regeneron thinks it has the inside track

Science: ‘This beast is moving very fast.’ Will the new coronavirus be contained—or go pandemic?

STAT: Chatbots are screening for the new coronavirus — and turning up cases of the flu

STAT: Novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV exposes a flaw in the Nagoya Protocol

February 4, 2020

UCSF: How coronaviruses get into cells (YouTube VIDEO)

From 4:00 you can see interesting 3D images of the “Wuhan” coronavirus spike (and that of other coronaviruses) and get an explanation of how the spike binds to an ACE2 receptor.

STAT: Experts envision two scenarios if the new coronavirus isn’t contained

Just another coronavirus
2019-nCoV returns repeatedly like a bad seasonal flu

STAT: High-profile report on asymptomatic spread of coronavirus based on faulty information, health officials say

February 3, 2020

STAT: To fight coronavirus spread, the U.S. may expand ‘social distancing’ measures. But it comes at a cost

Science: Study claiming new coronavirus can be transmitted by people without symptoms was flawed

STAT: Quick retraction of a faulty coronavirus paper was a good moment for science

February 2, 2020

BBC: Coronavirus: First death outside China reported in Philippines

NYT: Wuhan Coronavirus Looks Increasingly Like a Pandemic, Experts Say

February 1, 2020

STAT: Top WHO official says it’s not too late to stop the new coronavirus outbreak

January 31, 2020

STAT: U.S. to quarantine all American citizens evacuated from Wuhan, as CDC raises pandemic possibility

STAT: Preprints can fill a void in times of rapidly changing science

STAT: Health experts warn China travel ban will hinder coronavirus response

STAT: U.S. declares public health emergency over coronavirus, bans travel from China by foreign nationals

Science: Mining coronavirus genomes for clues to the outbreak’s origins

WHO: Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (January 31, 2020)
Updated up to March 18, 2023

This is a video from the WHO on how to protect yourself and others against Covid-19.

January 30, 2020

WHO DECLARES CORONAVIRUS A GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

STAT: WHO declares coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency

Science: Outbreak of virus from China declared global emergency

STAT: Limited data may be skewing assumptions about severity of coronavirus outbreak, experts say

STAT: How do coronaviruses spread? (VIDEO)

STAT: Archived chat: the new coronavirus and the global response

“The archived chat is available for download here.”

STAT: CDC confirms first known case of person-to-person spread of new coronavirus in U.S.

“The United States is at least the fourth country to report person-to-person spread outside of China, with Vietnam, Germany, and Japan also reporting local transmission.”
“The initial patient in Illinois was a Chicago woman in her 60s who had recently returned from Wuhan, China.”

STAT: Study documents first case of coronavirus spread by a person showing no symptoms

January 29, 2020

STAT: In coronavirus response, AI is becoming a useful tool in a global outbreak, data experts say

STAT: WHO praises China’s response to coronavirus, will reconvene expert committee to assess global threat

January 28, 2020

STAT: The coronavirus questions that scientists are racing to answer

STAT: Federal officials tell China: Let U.S. health workers enter to help respond to coronavirus

Science: Scientists are moving at record speed to create new coronavirus vaccines—but they may come too late

January 27, 2020

Science: Can an anti-HIV combination or other existing drugs outwit the new coronavirus?

January 26, 2020

STAT: Containing new coronavirus may not be feasible, experts say, as they warn of possible sustained global spread

Science: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally

January 24, 2020

STAT: Precautions are in place. Now U.S. hospitals and states ready for more cases of novel virus from China

STAT: CDC reports second U.S. case of novel virus spreading in China

STAT: New coronavirus can cause infections with no symptoms and sicken otherwise healthy people, studies show

“As of Friday, there were more than 830 cases of the coronavirus infection in China, with 25 deaths, and a handful of cases in places — including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and the United States — that were in people who traveled to those countries from China.”

STAT: DNA sleuths read the coronavirus genome, tracing its origins and looking for dangerous mutations

January 23, 2020

Virus is now named 2019-nCoV

STAT: It’s been sequenced. It’s spread across borders. Now the new pneumonia-causing virus needs a name

“The pneumonia-causing virus, which is spreading rapidly in China and beyond, is currently being identified as 2019-nCoV.”

STAT: WHO declines to declare China virus outbreak a global health emergency

Science: WHO says no need—yet—to declare spread of novel virus is an international emergency

STAT: Four ‘generations’ of spread seen with virus in China, alarming experts

January 22, 2020

STAT: The basics: What we knew — and don’t know — about the virus spreading in China and beyond

“A number of patients have been treated at hospitals and released within a few days. For others, the complications have been much more severe. As of Wednesday, 17 people with the infection in China had died.”

STAT: Former CDC director Tom Frieden on 3 key questions about the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China

“How deadly is this newly identified coronavirus? This is called the case fatality rate, which is determined by the proportion of people with the infection who die from it. The answer so far is that it looks more serious than the common cold but less serious than SARS.”

Science: WHO panel puts off decision on whether to sound alarm on rapid spread of new virus

STAT: WHO postpones decision on whether to declare China outbreak a global public health emergency

“Authorities said they planned to implement a travel lockdown in Wuhan, the city of 11 million people where the outbreak is believed to have started. Starting at 10 a.m. local time Thursday, public transit service is going to be suspended, and flights and trains from the city are going to be canceled.”

January 21, 2020

STAT: WHO raises possibility of ‘sustained’ human-to-human transmission of new virus in China

“The suggestion that sustained transmission may be happening will ratchet up already high concerns about the new virus, which is provisionally called 2019-nCoV. The virus is a coronavirus, from the same family as the viruses that caused SARS and MERS. While the source of the new virus is not yet known, Chinese authorities have said they believe it was transmitted to people from some type of wild game animal.”

Science: Arrival of new SARS-like virus in U.S. heightens concerns about global spread

STAT: CDC details first U.S. case of novel virus spreading in China

“A man in Washington state [in his 30s] has been diagnosed with a novel infection racing through China.”

January 20, 2020

BBC: New China virus: Cases triple as infection spreads to Beijing and Shanghai

STAT: WHO calls for emergency meeting on new virus in China, as cases spread to health care workers

“Cases have also been exported to three Asian countries. Thailand has reported two cases in tourists from China, and South Korea has confirmed one in a Chinese tourist as well. Japan reported a case in a Japanese traveler who had been to Wuhan, where the outbreak is believed to have started.”

Science: China reports more than 200 infections with new coronavirus from Wuhan

January 19, 2020

STAT: China reports sharp rise in cases of novel virus amid growing concerns of person-to-person transmission

“On Sunday, authorities in Shenzhen, a city in Guangdong province, confirmed a case, a 66-year-old man who had visited Wuhan on Dec. 29 and became ill on Jan. 3. That discovery came after Thailand reported two cases and Japan diagnosed one — all in tourists or nationals who had come from or visited Wuhan.”

January 17, 2020

STAT: U.S. to begin health screenings at three airports for cases of novel Chinese virus

January 16, 2020

STAT: Novel virus tied to Chinese outbreak found in Japan, as second death is reported

“So far, health authorities have not concluded that the virus can be spread among people.”

January 15, 2020

STAT: Chinese health officials can’t rule out person-to-person spread of new virus

“A 61-year-old man with severe underlying conditions died from the coronavirus on Saturday.”
“The husband, who fell ill first, worked at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. Meanwhile, the wife said she hasn’t had any exposure to the market.”

January 14, 2020

Science: World on alert for potential spread of new SARS-like virus found in China

BBC: Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: First case reported outside China

“A tourist in Thailand has become the first person outside China diagnosed with a new, pneumonia-like virus that has already infected dozens of people.”
“The woman was quarantined after landing in Bangkok from Wuhan, eastern China, where the outbreak began in December.”

January 13, 2020

“Mystery virus” spreads to Thailand

Straits Times: Thailand confirms first case of mystery virus from Wuhan, Chinese woman quarantined
Updated January 14, 2020

January 11, 2020

VOA: China’s Mysterious Virus Claims First Victim

Science: Chinese researchers reveal draft genome of virus implicated in Wuhan pneumonia outbreak

“The analyzing began immediately. Evolutionary biologist Andrew Rambaut at the University of Edinburgh calculated that the virus has a 89% similarity to a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-related member of the Sarbecoviruses, a subgenus within the Betacoronavirus genus.”
“Potentially really important moment in global public health – must be celebrated.”
– Jeremy Farrar, Wellcome Trust

January 10, 2020

Science: Mystery virus found in Wuhan resembles bat viruses but not SARS, Chinese scientist says

January 9, 2020

Science: Scientists urge China to quickly share data on virus linked to pneumonia outbreak

STAT: Chinese scientists obtain genetic sequence of mysterious virus, a key step in containment efforts

SciAm: WHO Says Mysterious Illness in China Likely Being Caused by New Virus

January 8, 2020

China identifies new virus

nature: New virus identified as likely cause of mystery illness in China

“The municipal health commission says that it is trying to isolate the virus from patients to identify the pathogen and its potential source. Many of the people who have become ill work in a seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, which was shut down on 1 January.”

STAT: WHO says mysterious illness in China likely being caused by new virus

“The number of cases reported makes it seem unlikely that animal-to-human transmission is the only way this virus spread.”

NYT: China Identifies New Virus Causing Pneumonialike Illness

PopSci: A mysterious virus is sickening people in China

January 7, 2020

CNN: A mysterious virus is making China (and the rest of Asia) nervous. It’s not SARS, so what is it?

NYT: Chinese Doctor, Silenced After Warning of Outbreak, Dies From Coronavirus

NewScientist: Doctors scramble to identify mysterious illness emerging in China

January 5, 2020

WHO: Pneumonia of unknown cause – China – WHO

“On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (unknown cause) detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China.”

STAT: Cause of Wuhan’s mysterious pneumonia cases still unknown, Chinese officials say

BBC: China pneumonia: Sars ruled out as dozens fall ill in Wuhan

January 4, 2020

Straits Times: Wuhan pneumonia: First suspected case reported in Singapore

STAT: Experts search for answers in limited information about mystery pneumonia outbreak in China

January 3, 2020

Science: Novel human virus? Pneumonia cases linked to seafood market in China stir concern

“Hints of trouble first surfaced publicly on 30 December, when a directive from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission asking hospitals to report unusual cases of pneumonia was reported by local media. The next day, the commission posted a notice in Chinese on its website stating that a number of local hospitals had reported cases of pneumonia linked to the wholesale Huanan Seafood Market.”

CIDRAP: Cases spike in Wuhan mystery pneumonia cluster

Forbes: Mystery Pneumonia, Respiratory Illness, Has Afflicted 44 People In Wuhan, China

Bioethics.com: China Pneumonia Outbreak: Mystery Virus Probed in Wuhan

“The outbreak has prompted Singapore and Hong Kong to bring in screening processes for travellers from the city.”

Nikkei: Asia on alert over mysterious virus outbreak in China

“The outbreak prompted authorities in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia to take emergency measures, including stricter health control at borders and temperature screenings on all flights from Wuhan.”

Straits Times: Wuhan pneumonia outbreak spurs fever checks in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan

CBS: Mystery pneumonia outbreak in China sparks fear of deadly SARS virus

“Authorities are investigating an outbreak of viral pneumonia in central China amid online speculation that it might be linked to SARS, the flu-like virus that killed hundreds of people more than a decade ago.”
“There were 27 cases of “viral pneumonia of unknown origin” reported in Wuhan, in central Hubei province, the city’s health commission said in a statement.”

January 1, 2020

SCMP: Wuhan virus: Hong Kong monitoring Sars-like mystery flu outbreak in Wuhan

“Travellers returning to Hong Kong with respiratory illnesses will have their travel history reviewed.”

SCMP: World Health Organisation in touch with Beijing after mystery viral pneumonia outbreak

December

December 31, 2019

China notifies WHO of SARS-like pneumonia in Wuhan

CIDRAP: News Scan for Dec 31, 2019

“Health officials in China are investigating the cause of a pneumonia outbreak in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province that has sickened 27 people and seems to be linked to a seafood market.”
“News of the outbreak triggered rumors of possible severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).”

SCMP: Hong Kong takes emergency measures as mystery ‘pneumonia’ infects dozens in China’s Wuhan city

Straits Times: China probes pneumonia outbreak for Sars links: State media

“China is investigating an outbreak of atypical pneumonia that is suspected of being linked to Sars.”
According to a Chinese newspaper, “of the 27 cases, seven were critical, the rest were under control, and two patients are expected to be discharged from hospital in near future.”

Caixin: Outbreak of Mysterious Lung Disease Sparks SARS Rumors

Return to the latest news on the timeline

Relevant news from before the Covid-19 outbreak

Search for past websites warning about preparing ourselves for the next pandemic.

April 3, 2015

“The next outbreak? We’re not ready” by Bill Gates

Bill Gates was not the only person who knew that we weren’t prepared for a pandemic. Many scientists have spoken out about this for a long time.