COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic
Medical professionals treating a COVID-19 patient in critical condition in an intensive care unit in São Paulo in May 2020
Confirmed deaths per 100,000 population
as of 20 December 2023
Cases per capita
Cumulative percentage of population infected
as of 19 March 2022
  •   >10%
  •   3–10%
  •   1–3%
  •   0.3–1%
  •   0.1–0.3%
  •   0.03–0.1%
  •   0–0.03%
  •   None or no data
DiseaseCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Virus strainSevere acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2
(SARS‑CoV‑2)
SourceBats,[1] indirectly[2]
LocationWorldwide
Index caseWuhan, China
30°37′11″N 114°15′28″E / 30.61972°N 114.25778°E / 30.61972; 114.25778
DatesAssessed by WHO as pandemic: 11 March 2020 (4 years ago)[3]
Public health emergency of international concern: 30 January 2020 – 5 May 2023 (3 years, 3 months and 5 days)[4]
Confirmed cases774,834,237[5] (true case count is expected to be much higher[6])
Deaths
7,037,007[5] (reported)
18.2–33.5 million[7] (estimated)
Fatality rateAs of March 10, 2023: 1.02%[8][needs update]

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is a global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified in an outbreak in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, China, in December 2019, before it spread to other areas of Asia, and then worldwide in early 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, and assessed the outbreak had become a pandemic on 11 March 2020.[3] The WHO ended the PHEIC on 5 May 2023.[4] As of 27 March 2024, the pandemic has caused 7,037,007[5] confirmed deaths, making it the fifth deadliest pandemic or epidemic in history.

COVID-19 symptoms range from asymptomatic to deadly, but most commonly include fever, sore throat, nocturnal cough, and fatigue. Transmission of the virus is often through airborne particles. Mutations have produced many strains (variants) with varying degrees of infectivity and virulence.[9]

COVID-19 vaccines were widely deployed in various countries beginning in December 2020. Treatments include novel antiviral drugs and symptom control. Common mitigation measures during the public health emergency included travel restrictions, lockdowns, business restrictions and closures, workplace hazard controls, mask mandates, quarantines, testing systems, and contact tracing of the infected.

The pandemic caused severe social and economic disruption around the world, including the largest global recession since the Great Depression.[10] Widespread supply shortages, including food shortages, were caused by supply chain disruptions and panic buying. Reduced human activity led to an unprecedented temporary decrease in pollution. Educational institutions and public areas were partially or fully closed in many jurisdictions, and many events were cancelled or postponed during 2020 and 2021. Telework became much more common for white-collar workers as the pandemic evolved. Misinformation circulated through social media and mass media, and political tensions intensified. The pandemic raised issues of racial and geographic discrimination, health equity, and the balance between public health imperatives and individual rights.

  1. ^ Zoumpourlis V, Goulielmaki M, Rizos E, Baliou S, Spandidos DA (October 2020). "[Comment] The COVID‑19 pandemic as a scientific and social challenge in the 21st century". Molecular Medicine Reports. 22 (4): 3035–3048. doi:10.3892/mmr.2020.11393. PMC 7453598. PMID 32945405.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference who-origins-20210330 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference start was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference reuters was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Ritchie H, Mathieu E, Rodés-Guirao L, Appel C, Giattino C, Ortiz-Ospina E, et al. (2020–2022). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  6. ^ Mathieu E, Ritchie H, Rodés-Guirao L, Appel C, Giattino C, Hasell J, et al. (5 March 2020). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  7. ^ "The pandemic's true death toll". The Economist. 26 July 2023 [18 November 2021]. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  8. ^ "COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)". ArcGIS. Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Clinical questions about COVID-19: Questions and answers". stacks.cdc.gov. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  10. ^ "The Great Lockdown: Worst Economic Downturn Since the Great Depression". IMF Blog. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.

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