Corona-virus Pandemic - How it all started

Wuhan is a densely populated capital city of the Hubei Province in the Republic of China at the confluence of Yangtze River. On 31^st Dec 2019, a cluster of pneumonia cases was reported from Wuhan. An investigation was started in early January 2020 into the cause.

Initial findings told that pneumonia cases are somehow linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. Hence, the virus was identified as zoonotic (disease transmitted in human by the non-human animal). Further investigation led to the discovery of new virus SARS-CoV-2 closely related to Bat Coronavirus, Pangolin Coronavirus and SARS-CoV. (SARS is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

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The first case is dated back to 17^th Nov 2019 in Hubei, a 55-year-old, who developed symptoms of the disease but had no connection to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. But about two-thirds of the cases were found to be linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.

The doctors treating the cases found that the patients are hit by some viral disease but were not responding to the usual medicinal treatments. The initial identified 4 cases increased to a dozen by end of Dec 2019 and it increased to 1000 or more within no time. Unfortunately, the authorities did not alert the public about the outbreak. Finally, the Authorities in China alerted the World Health Organization about the outbreak on 31^st Dec 2019 but maintained that it is controllable.

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Through mobile tracking it was found that about 1,75,000 people left Wuhan for their hometowns at the onset of Lunar New year. Coincidentally, this was the worst time for the outbreak to happen. Before the travel could be restricted, around 7 million people moved out from Wuhan.

Of late China found out that the virus is getting transmitted human to human. By the time many people have moved out of Wuhan to different parts of the world – New York, Sydney, Bangkok.

First case outside of China was reported from Bangkok of a 61-year-old woman who left China with symptoms.  Other cases were reported from Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong and Seattle in the US. By 31^st Jan 2020 US stopped flights from China which forced China to lockdown Wuhan. But already 30 cities in 26 countries got affected by time.

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The virus started spreading in religious spaces, restaurants, malls and other public places leading to the pandemic. By 1^st Mar 2020 reports of cases started to come from Italy, Iran, South Korea.

As China started systematic medical checks, tracking, isolating patients a dramatic fall in the new cases were observed. Similar steps were taken by Singapore, Hong Kong to arrest the spread.

The US stopped all travels from Europe. But by the time virus had made its way in New York and Seattle