COVID-19 — A Timeline of the Coronavirus Outbreak – Part 2

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO’s emergencies program reported Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus from China is not new, but has been under surveillance since 2011

New Zealand health minister David Clark resigns after a series of blunders amid the country’s COVID-19 response

UNITAID and UNICEF agree to an initial purchase of dexamethasone to expand the drug’s access for low- and middle-income countries. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 11 million globally — only five days after the global caseload hit 10 million

WHO discontinues the lopinavir/ritonavir treatment arm of the Solidarity Trial following a recommendation from the trial’s International Steering Committee that found the treatment produced little or no reduction in patient mortality when compared to standard of care

The U.S. submits its formal notification to withdraw from WHO. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is reviewing whether the U.S. has met the conditions to do so.

In an open letter to WHO, 239 scientists urge the agency to “recognize the potential for airborne spread of COVID-19”

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for COVID-19, following months of downplaying the crisis while cases and deaths from the virus continued to increase. Brazil has the second-largest confirmed caseload, with 1.7 million cases, following the U.S.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 500,000 in Africa. 

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 12 million — five days after the figure reached 11 million. Confirmed cases in the U.S. surpass 3 million.

WHO updates a scientific brief on transmission of COVID-19, saying more research on airborne transmission is needed

WHO receives reports of 230,000 new cases of COVID-19. Almost 80% of those cases are from 10 countries, says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a news briefing

The 2020 “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report estimates that between 83 million and 132 million people could be pushed into hunger this year because of COVID-19, many by job losses amid lockdown measures

American biotech firm Moderna published interim results from its ongoing human clinical trials of its candidate vaccine for COVID-19, finding that it was safe and provoked an immune response in all of its 45 volunteers

Seventy-five countries have expressed interest in joining the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access — or COVAX — Facility, which is a mechanism aimed at increasing equitable access to future COVID-19 vaccines

Research from the Jubilee Debt Campaign finds that $11.3 Billion in IMF loans to countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are  being used to bail out private lenders

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 14 million

Confirmed deaths from COVID-19 surpass 600,000 globally

A new study published in The Lancet shows a promising vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford. The candidate, a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine referred to as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, generated T cells and neutralizing antibodies in participants, and a stronger immune response was found among 10 people who received a second dose

Three out of 10 people in the Americas are at increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions, warns the Pan American Health Org

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 15 million

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 16 million

New research from the WHO shows that the world has reached a milestone in the fight against hepatitis B infections, with prevalence rate among children under 5 years old at less than 1% in 2020

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 17 million.

A in JAMA found that children 5 years old and younger, with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, have up to 100 times the viral load in their upper throat as people who are older

Russia announces plans to launch a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in October, with a vaccine that has not completed clinical trials

Globally, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 18 million. A few studies have estimated the infection fatality rate of COVID-19 at 0.6%, That means just over 1 in 200 people infected will potentially die, but it is hugely skewed by age, with the risk much higher in older people

Confirmed deaths from COVID-19 surpass 700,000 globally

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 19 million

Cases of COVID-19 on the African continent surpass 1 million

A new collaboration between the Serum Institute of India, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims to deliver  up to 100 million doses of future COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 5 million in the United States

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 hit 20 million. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus states “My message is crystal clear: Suppress, suppress, suppress the virus. If we suppress the virus effectively, we can safely open up societies

New Zealand reports fresh new cases of COVID-19. The announcement comes two days after the government celebrated 100 days of no community transmission. Russia grants regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine. Russian President Vladimir Putin says “it has passed all the needed checks”

The U.S. government secures 100 million doses of Moderna’s candidate vaccine, mRNA-1273, which is in late-stage clinical trials. The deal also gives the U.S. option to purchase an additional 400 million vaccine doses

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 21 million

A letter signed by former world leaders, people in the education sector, and economists calls for urgent action in response to the global education emergency created by the pandemic

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 22 million

A WHO surgery of 39 countries in sub-Saharan Africa finds that schools are fully operational in six countries, closed in 14, and partially open in 19. About a dozen countries plan to resume in-person classes in September

Globally, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 23 million and the number of deaths surpasses 800,000

Hong Kong researchers report the world’s first case of reinfection of COVID-19. A 33-year-old man who had a mild case of COVID-19 in April tests positive again — infected by a different strain of the virus, calling into question the length of immunity that people acquire after they have the disease

“With the pandemic, Africa has lost over a decade of gains of economic growth. Africa’s recovery will be long and difficult

UNICEF finds that 1 in 3 school children — 463 million children globally — have not had access to remote learning options during the pandemic

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally surpass 25 million.

India reports the highest single-day increase of any nation thus far during the pandemic, with 78,761 new COVID-19 cases

The European Union announces €400 million ($478 million) in guarantees for COVAX.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 6 million in the United States, the highest number of any country

A study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine that finds antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 did not decline within four months of diagnosis — bringing greater clarity around the questions of whether having had COVID-19 prevents someone from becoming reinfected and how long that protection lasts

WHO publishes new guidelines recommending the use of corticosteroids in COVID-19 patients with severe and critical conditions. The guidance comes months after preliminary data from a U.K. trial showed dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, reduced mortality among critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 26 million

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom states; “when vaccines for COVID-19 are available, they should initially go to people most vulnerable to contracting the disease — essential workers, elderly populations, and people with underlying health conditions

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 27 million. More than 200 U.N. staff members in Syria have been infected with COVID-19

Trials of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford are on hold after a reported adverse reaction in a participant. A safety review is being conducted before trials can resume

U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Dick Durbin introduce a bill ensuring continued U.S. funding to WHO.

“With the United States leading in the number of COVID-19 infections, we do not have time to play along with the president’s political stunt to withdraw from vital international organizations like the World Health Organization, which is leading a global effort to find and distribute a vaccine for a disease responsible for the death of more than 190,000 Americans,”

AstraZeneca says that it has resumed its clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine in the U.K. The trials were paused following reports of an adverse reaction in a participant

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, recommends the convening of a U.N. Summit on Global Health Security to agree a new international framework for health emergency preparedness and response

United Arab Emirates grants emergency approval for use of the COVID-19 candidate vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm. The vaccine is still in phase 3 trials

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, says she will convene a Global Health Summit in 2021 in Italy. She also announces plans for the establishment of a European BARDA, an agency for biomedical advanced research and development

Global COVID-19 cases surpass 30 million. The U.S. has the highest number of infections followed by India and Brazil

WHO is releasing a fully revised investment case for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which includes costing for the accelerator’s “fourth pillar,” known as the “health systems connector.” This brings the total funding ask of the accelerator from $31 billion to $38 billion

The U.S. supasses 200,000 reported deaths from COVID-19 — the highest number of any country in the world.

U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.N. must hold China accountable for its actions relating to the pandemic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping says COVID-19 vaccines developed by China, once completed and available for use, “will be made a global public good

Johnson & Johnson begins the final stage of clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The trial includes up to 60,000 people. If proven effective, this vaccine might only require one dose rather than two

Socioecological factors such as low population density, a younger demographic, and hot and humid weather have likely contributed to the COVID-19 disease pattern in Africa, resulting in fewer infections. Cases in the region have also been declining over the past two months

WHO publishes draft criteria for the assessment of COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use listing or prequalification. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket — that’s the message, meaning we have to invest in vaccines, but at the same time, let’s be very serious in using the tools we have at hand,”

The world surpasses 1 million COVID-19 deaths and 33 million confirmed cases. A total of 120 million antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests from SD Biosensor and Abbott are being made available to low- and middle-income countries through volume guarantee agreements made by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 

The latest analysis of the open-label phase 1 study of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, shows it can generate neutralizing antibodies in adults ages 56 years and older. The older cohorts also did not have any serious adverse reactions to the vaccine at either the 25 microgram or 100 microgram dose levels

Johnson & Johnson commits to allocate up to 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate to lower-income countries

Africa CDC has expanded its antibody testing to 15 countries on the continent

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump test positive for COVID-19

The Solomon Islands reports its first case of COVID-19: a student who arrived in the country on a repatriation flight from the Philippines

 The Lancet publishes results from a large-scale clinical trial known as the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy — or RECOVERY — Trial, showing that the drug combination lopinavir-ritonavir is not an effective treatment for patients admitted to the hospital with COVID–19

The pilot for the Solidarity Trial of candidate COVID-19 vaccines will start at the end of October, and the initial results could be released in January 2021. The Solidarity Trial is a global initiative launched by WHO to compare COVID-19 treatments and rapidly assess their effectiveness

Moderna releases a statement saying it will not enforce patents on its COVID-19 vaccine for vaccine manufacturers combatting the pandemic

China joins COVAX, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announces on Twitter

Johnson & Johnson temporarily pauses clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate after an “unexplained illness in a study participant.” 

Nearly half of the world’s workforce is at risk of losing their jobs, with informal economy workers the most vulnerable, according to a press release from the International Labour Organization

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 38 million

Interim results from WHO’s Solidarity Trial find that the drugs remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, and interferon had “little or no effect” on mortality, the need for ventilation, or the length of hospital stay for COVID-19 patients

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 39 million

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 40 million. COVID-19 cases in Argentina surpass 1 million

A survey carried out in 19 countries finds high acceptance of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. But 28% of the 13,400 respondents said they would hesitate to get, or completely refuse, a coronavirus vaccination.

Around 100,000 people continue to test positive for COVID-19 in the Americas every day, with cases rising in the United States and Canada

African nations will begin to widely use rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 following WHO’s recent approval of two of these tests for emergency use. Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 41 million

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 42 million

Data from a clinical trial of Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody treatment bamlanivimab found it is ineffective in helping hospitalized patients with advanced stages of disease to recover. As a result, the treatment will no longer be administered to patients under the ACTIV-3 trial

The Russian Direct Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund, submitted applications for WHO prequalification of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine

Taiwan has not reported a locally transmitted case of COVID-19 in 200 days

Members of an international group of experts had their first virtual meeting with their Chinese counterparts on efforts to establish the origin of the coronavirus, says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a news briefing. Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 45 million. Over the past week, cases have increased at a rate of about 1 million every two days.

Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 46 million

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he is self-quarantining after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19

Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 47 million

Denmark plans to cull up to 17 million minks after detecting a mutated version of the novel coronavirus on mink farms, which infected 12 people

Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 49 million

Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA-based vaccine candidate is found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 among people with no evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 50 million

Brazil suspends clinical trials of Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine after a “serious adverse event” in one of the volunteers

Globally, confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 51 million

South Korean biotech company GL Rapha will produce over 150 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in South Korea, as part of a new deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

South Korean biotech company GL Rapha will produce over 150 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in South Korea, as part of a new deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Moderna announces its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown 94.5% efficacy, based on interim analysis from a phase 3 study conducted among 30,000 participants in the United States. Starting two weeks after a second dose, the group that received the vaccine had five cases of COVID-19, none of which was severe. Among the placebo group, 90 participants had COVID-19, including 11 severe cases.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpasses 2 million on the African continent

The WHO Guideline Development Group advises against use of the antiviral drug remdesivir for COVID-19, saying there is no evidence that it improves survival or decreases the need for ventilation

here have been more cases of COVID-19 reported in the past four weeks than in the first six months of the pandemic, says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine showed 62% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 in participants given two full shots of the vaccine. However, the efficacy rose to 90% when the vaccine was given at only half dose during the first shot, followed by a full dose for the second shot, according to interim analysis

Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has shown 91.4% efficacy based on preliminary data from ongoing phase 3 clinical trials in the country, according to officials from the Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 60 million

Widespread campaigns to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in Africa will likely not happen until the second quarter of next year because of challenges around accessing vaccines and preparing countries for their distribution, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Moderna announces further trial results for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, showing it to be 94.1% effective against COVID-19, and 100% effective against severe cases. The company has applied for emergency use authorization from the FDA

U.S. press reports leaked documents revealing discrepancies in reported COVID-19 cases in Hubei province in the early days of the outbreak. China reported confirmed cases, but not suspected and clinically diagnosed cases, effectively downplaying the true size of the epidemic, experts argue. The documents also reveal that the average time between the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and a confirmed diagnosis was 23.3 days in early March

The U.K. government approves the COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Pfizer and BioNTech for domestic use — the first country to do so

Globally, confirmed deaths from COVID-19 surpass 1.5 million

Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 65 million. In response to criticisms that vaccines could prove unsafe in the long term because pharmaceutical companies rushed through the vaccine development process, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO, says during a press conference that shortcuts were not taken in the scientific process. The vaccines still underwent the full process of development, but timelines were accelerated because phase one and phase two were overlapped by regulatory agencies that were willing to be flexible.

The U.K. begins to roll out a COVID-19 vaccination campaign, becoming the first nation to do so. The campaign, using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, will first inoculate front-line health workers, people over 80, and nursing home workers. The U.K. has purchased 40 million doses of the vaccine, with much of it expected to arrive next year

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announces an additional $250 million directed toward efforts to fight COVID-19, targeting the development of COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs and their equitable and timely distribution. The foundation’s total commitment to the global COVID-19 response is $1.75 billion.

The Asian Development Bank launches the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility, a $9 billion vaccine initiative to support its low-income member countries in the procurement and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccines that will be eligible to be financed through the facility however need to be purchased via the COVAX Facility, have received prequalification from

Peru temporarily suspends trials for China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine candidate after a volunteer presents neurological problems. The health ministry is investigating whether the reaction was related to the vaccine

The U.S. begins to roll out a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country surpasses 300,000 confirmed deaths from the virus

European Union signs a promised €100 million ($122 million) grant and €400 million loan to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, reinforcing efforts to ensure people in low- and middle-income countries have swift access to a COVID-19 vaccine

French President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for COVID-19

WHO announces agreements are in place allowing the ‘COVAX initiative’ to access nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

• 170 million doses from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

• 500 million doses from Johnson & Johnson

• 200 million from Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline

• 200 million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford or Novavax vaccines, with an option for up to 900 million more doses

Canada surpasses 500,000 COVID-19 cases. U.K. surpasses 2 million

New Zealand reports six new cases, bringing the total number to 2,116. Well done New Zealand!

The first cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica are reported by Chile. 36 people, including 10 civilians and 26 officers contracted the virus in the Base General Bernardo O’Higgins. USA surpasses 18 million COVID-19 cases

The United Kingdom reported 691 new deaths, the highest figure for daily fatalities since early May

Italy surpasses 2 million COVID-19 cases. The Canadian Province of Ontario reported a new record high of 2,447 COVID-19 daily cases

Japan reported 3,748 new coronavirus cases, a record daily high. 5 cases of the mutated strain of COVID-19 were confirmed in people who had travelled to Japan from the U.K.

Canada confirms 2 cases of the new strain of COVID-19. France confirms its 1st case of the new variant strain. Total number of COVID-19 cases across the world crossed over 80 million, with the number of deaths more than 1.75 million

United States of America surpasses 19 million COVID-19 cases. South Africa surpasses 1 million covid 19 cases

Singapore has reported 13 new cases (all imported), bringing the total to 58,542. 14 people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 58,400. The death toll remains at 29