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Jump to navigationJump to search"Coronavirus outbreak" and "2019–2020 outbreak" redirect here. For other uses, see Coronavirus outbreak (disambiguation) and 2019–2020 outbreak (disambiguation).COVID‑19 pandemicConfirmed cases per 100,000 population
as of 8 September 2020
>3,000
1,000–3,000
300–1,000
100–300
30–100
0–30
None or no data
Cases per country
Deaths per capita
Clockwise, starting from top:
A nurse caring for a COVID‑19 patient in an intensive care unit aboard a U.S. hospital ship
Disinfection vehicles in Taiwan
Donated medical supplies being received in the Philippines
Burial in Iran
The Italian government's outbreak task force
DiseaseCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19)Virus strainSevere acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2)[a]SourceProbably bats, possibly via pangolins[2][3]LocationWorldwideFirst outbreakChina[4]Index caseWuhan, Hubei, China
30°37′11″N 114°15′28″EDate1 December 2019[4]–present
(9 months, 1 week and 1 day)Confirmed cases27,605,560[5]Active cases8,142,219[5] (29.6% of total cases)Recovered18,565,072[5]Deaths898,269[5]Territories188[5]
The COVID‑19 pandemic, also called the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2).[1] It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.[4] The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March. As of 9 September 2020, more than 27.6 million cases have been reported in more than 188 countries and territories, resulting in more than 898,000 deaths; more than 18.5 million people have recovered.[5]
The virus is spread primarily via small droplets from coughing, sneezing, and talking. The droplets are usually not airborne, however those standing in close proximity may inhale them and become infected.[b] People may also become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face. The transmission may also occur through aerosols that can stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time in enclosed spaces. It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread is possible before symptoms appear, and from people who are asymptomatic.[6][7]
Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath or breathing difficulties, and loss of smell. Complications may include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The incubation period is typically around five days but may range from two to 14 days. There are several vaccine candidates in development, although none have completed clinical trials to prove their safety and efficacy. There is no known specific antiviral medication, so primary treatment is currently symptomatic.[8]
Recommended preventive measures include hand washing, covering mouth when coughing, social distancing, wearing a face mask in public, disinfecting surfaces, ventilating and air-filtering, and monitoring and self-isolation for people who suspect they may be infected. Authorities worldwide have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns, workplace hazard controls, and facility closures to slow the spread of the disease. Many places have also worked to increase testing capacity and contact tracing.
The pandemic has caused global social and economic disruption,[9] including the largest global recession since the Great Depression.[10] Up to 100 million people have fallen into extreme poverty[11][12][13] and global famines are affecting 130 million people.[14] It has led to the postponement or cancellation of sporting, religious, political, and cultural events,[15] widespread supply shortages exacerbated by panic buying,[16][17] and decreased emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.[18][19] Educational institutions have been partially or fully closed. Misinformation about the virus has circulated through social media and mass media.[20] There have been incidents of xenophobia and discrimination against Chinese people and against those perceived as being Chinese or as being from areas with high infection rates.[21]
Contents
Epidemiology
For country-level case and death data, see COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory.
For country-level data, see:
COVID-19 pandemic by country and territoryCases
27,605,560Deaths
898,269As of 9 September 2020[5]Africa · Asia · Europe · North America
Oceania · South America
Background
On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports of a cluster of viral pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan, Hubei,[22][23] and an investigation was launched at the start of January 2020.[24] On 30 January, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)—7,818 cases confirmed globally, affecting 19 countries in five WHO regions.[25][26]
Several early infected people had visited Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market;[27] the virus is therefore thought to be of zoonotic origin.[28] The virus that caused the outbreak is known as SARS‑CoV‑2, a newly discovered virus closely related to bat coronaviruses,[29] pangolin coronaviruses,[30][31] and SARS-CoV.[32] The scientific consensus is that COVID-19 has a natural origin.[33][34] The probable bat-to-human infection may have been among people processing bat carcasses and guano in the production of traditional Chinese medicines.[35]
The earliest known person with symptoms was later discovered to have fallen ill on 1 December 2019, and that person did not have visible connections with the later wet market cluster.[36][37] Of the early cluster of cases reported that month, two-thirds were found to have a link with the market.[38][39][40] On 13 March 2020, an unverified report from the South China Morning Post suggested a case traced back to 17 November 2019 (a 55-year-old from Hubei) may have been the first person infected.[41][42]
The WHO recognised the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020[43] as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan reported surging numbers of cases. The number of
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