Timeline Page

31 December 2019

• WHO Reports
  • At the close of 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of a pneumonia of unknown cause, detected in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China. According to the authorities, some patients were operating dealers or vendors in the Huanan Seafood market.

Staying in close contact with national authorities, WHO began monitoring the situation and requested further information on the laboratory tests performed and the different diagnoses considered.

4 January 2020

• WHO announced it would work across its 3 levels – country office, regional office and HQ – to track the situation and share details as they emerged.
• China has reported to WHO a cluster of #pneumonia cases —with no deaths— in Wuhan, Hubei Province 🇨🇳 . Investigations are underway to identify the cause of this illness.

5 January

• WHO published its risk assessment and advice and reported on the status of patients and the public health response by national authorities to the cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.

10 January

• Developed with reference to other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, WHO issued a tool for countries to check their ability to detect and respond to a novel coronavirus.
• This information is to help with identifying main gaps, assessing risks and planning for additional investigations, response and control actions.

12 January

• China shares the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, which will be very important for other countries as they develop specific diagnostic kits.
• Whole genome sequences for the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the Chinese🇨🇳 authorities were shared with WHO and have also been submitted by Chinese authorities to the GISAID platform so that they can be accessed by public health authorities, laboratories and researchers. pic.twitter.com/wmtGfI4dWl

13 January

• Officials confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus in Thailand. It was not unexpected that cases of the novel coronavirus would emerge outside of China and reinforces why WHO calls for active monitoring and preparedness in other countries.
• On 13 January 2020, the #Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health @pr_moph reported the first imported case of lab-confirmed novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from #Wuhan, #China🇨🇳 https://t.co/Wr6VZTnCj2 pic.twitter.com/U7Njua8gvr

18 January

• ECDC informs countries
  • 300 000 Passengers/month EU > China
  • Novel coronavirus circulates in China
  • 2 cases ex China in Thailand; 1 in Japan
  • Returning travellers with fever should consult a physician & inform of China visit
• WHO
• Case def, lab guidance, case management

21 January

• WHO Joint Mission to China
  • The delegation observed and discussed active surveillance processes, temperature screening at Wuhan Tianhe airport, laboratory facilities, infection prevention and control measures at Zhongnan hospital and its associated fever clinics, and the deployment of a test kit to detect the virus.
  • The delegation also discussed public communication efforts and China's plan to expand the case definition for the novel coronavirus, which will build a clearer picture of the spectrum of severity of the virus.
  • At the end of the visit, the Chinese Government released the primers and probes used in the test kit for the novel coronavirus to help other countries detect it. Chinese experts also shared a range of protocols that will be used in developing international guidelines, including case definitions, clinical management protocols and infection control.

22 January

• ECDC RRR COVID19 (#1)
  • the potential impact of 2019-nCoV outbreaks is high;
  • further global spread is likely;
  • there is currently a moderate likelihood of infection for EU/EEA travellers visiting Wuhan;
  • there is a high likelihood of case importation into countries with the greatest volume of people travelling to and from Wuhan (i.e. countries in Asia);
  • there is a moderate likelihood of detecting cases imported into EU/EEA countries;
  • adherence to appropriate infection prevention and control practices, particularly in healthcare settings in EU/EEA countries with direct links to Wuhan, means that the likelihood of a case reported in the EU resulting in secondary cases within the EU/EEA is low.

23 January

• On 22-23 February, the WHO Director General convened the Emergency Committee to consider the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, with cases also reported in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.
• Several Committee members considered it still too early to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), given its restrictive and binary nature. Among other recommendations, the Committee advised that it be recalled in approximately 10 days

25 January

• ECDC informs countries
  • Wuhan outbreak evolves rapidly
  • Cases in 9 other countries outside China
  • Person to Person spread likely
• WHO
  • Launch of free online introductory course on the novel coronavirus

26 January

• ECDC RRA COVID19 (#2)
  • the potential impact of 2019-nCoV outbreaks is high;
  • further global spread is likely;
  • there is currently a moderate likelihood of infection for EU/EEA citizens residing in or visiting Wuhan, Hubei province, China;
  • there is a high likelihood of further case importation into countries with the greatest volume of people who have travelled from Wuhan, Hubei Province (i.e. countries in Asia);
  • there is a moderate likelihood of further case importation into EU/EEA countries;
  • adherence to appropriate infection prevention and control practices, particularly in healthcare settings in EU/EEA countries with direct links to Hubei, means that the likelihood of a case detected in the EU resulting in secondary cases within the EU/EEA is low;
  • the impact of the late detection of an imported case in an EU/EEA country without the application of appropriate infection prevention and control measures would be high, therefore in such a scenario the risk of secondary transmission in the community setting is estimated to be very high

30 January

• WHO: 2019-nCoV = PHEIC
• Temporary recommendations under IHR
• Acknowledging that cases have been reported in five WHO regions in one month, the Committee noted that early detection, isolating and treating cases, contact tracing and social distancing measures – in line with the level of risk – can all work to interrupt virus spread.

31 January

• ECDC RRA COVID19 (#3)
  • the potential impact of 2019-nCoV outbreaks is high;
  • the likelihood of infection for EU/EEA citizens residing in or visiting Hubei province is estimated to be high;
  • the likelihood of infection for EU/EEA citizens in other Chinese provinces is moderate and will increase;
  • there is a moderate-to-high likelihood of additional imported cases in the EU/EEA;
  • the likelihood of observing further limited human-to-human transmission within the EU/EEA is estimated as very low to low if cases are detected early and appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are implemented, particularly in healthcare settings in EU/EEA countries;
  • assuming that cases in the EU/EEA are detected in a timely manner and that rigorous IPC measures are applied, the likelihood of sustained human-to-human transmission within the EU/EEA is currently very low to low;
  • the late detection of an imported case in an EU/EEA country without the application of appropriate infection prevention and control measures would result in the high likelihood of human-to-human transmission, therefore in such a scenario, the risk of secondary transmission in the community setting is estimated to be high.

1 February

• ECDC informs countries
  • 16 cases in EU (5 countries), with local transmission
  • China takes unprecedented control measures
  • Potential impact of 2019-nCoV is high
  • Moderate-High likelihood of more imported cases in EU
  • Likelihood of human-human transmission in EU is low if early detection of cases and adherence to appropriate IPC practices are implemented, in particular in health care settings

3 February

• Rapid Communication Eurosurveillance
  • 38 labs in 24 EU countries had COVID19 tests available
  • Availability of primers/probes, positive controls and personnel were main implementation barriers

5 February

• Global community asks for US$675 million to help protect vulnerable countries from the outbreak

8 February

• ECDC informs countries
  • 9 EU countries with cases (31)

10 February

• ECDC publishes “Guidelines for the use of non-pharmaceutical measures to delay and mitigate the impact of 2019-nCoV”
  • Hand Hygiene
  • Respiratory Hygiene (“Cough Etiquette”)
  • Face Masks & Respirators
    • In Health care: Surgical mask for suspected COVID19 cases. FFP masks for HCW during assessment & management
    • In other high exposures: Surgical masks for care providers of suspect COVID19 cases and those with extensive public contact
    • In Community: By individuals with respiratory symptoms before seeking medical attention
  • Other PPE:
    • HCW caring for COVID19, especially when aerosol-generating procedures.
  • Social distancing
    • Voluntary isolation of COVID19 cases in community.
    • Close contacts: Isolation at home & active daily monitoring
    • Casual contacts: Self-monitoring
  • Schools:
    • school children are considered to be one of the main drivers of respiratory virus spread in the community. It is not yet known how much nCoV2 transmission will occur among children
    • proactive school closures may be considered if there is ongoing transmission of 2019-nCoV in an area.

11 February

• Novel coronavirus disease named COVID-19

12 February

• Research and innovation forum sets priorities for COVID-19 research
  • More than 400 experts and funders met at WHO’s Geneva HQ to accelerate research to stop the COVID-19 outbreak. Featuring updates from the frontlines of the response in China, the meeting addressed issues such as: developing easy-to-apply diagnostics, accelerating existing vaccine candidates and preventing infection
• UN activates WHO-led Crisis Management Team
  • The Crisis Management Team (CMT) mechanism brings together WHO, OCHA, IMO, UNICEF, ICAO, WFP, FAO, the World Bank and several UN Secretariat departments.
  • The CMT will be managed by the Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Mike Ryan. It will help WHO focus on the health response while the other agencies will bring their expertise to bear on the wider social, economic and developmental implications of the outbreak

13 February

• ECDC publishes “Guidance on community engagement for public health events caused by communicable disease threats in the EU/EEA”:
  • Through all three phases of the preparedness cycle
    1. Recognise the community as a partner
    2. Develop understanding of community perceptions
    3. Optimise communications with at-risk communities
    4. Invest in a trusted spokesperson and long-term media relations.
  • Anticipation phase
    1. Map stakeholders and integrate them into preparedness planning
    2. Develop an accessible and inclusive preparedness and response training program
    3. Cultivate relationships with communities engaged in disease surveillance
    4. Engage with pre-existing community networks and infrastructures
    5. Set research agenda in collaboration with community partners.
  • Response phase
    1. Coordinate distribution of information, protective equipment and other resources for and with community partners
    2. If using an all-hazards approach, recognise the special character of infectious disease outbreaks, and act accordingly
    3. Facilitate resolving of possible issues with community-level financial losses.
  • Recovery phase
    1. Integrate and document community engagement in evaluation processes
    2. Promote community debriefing, dialogue and a culture of shared learning.

14 February

• ECDC RRA COVID19 (#4)
  • It is important that countries consider the roll-out of primary diagnostic testing capacity to local clinical and diagnostic laboratories.
  • Confirmatory testing remains the responsibility of the referral or reference laboratories.
  • Therefore, positive specimens should still be shipped for second detection assay and possible sequencing to referral or reference laboratories.
  • During the containment phase, extensive tracing and risk assessment of contacts of probable and confirmed cases detected in EU/EEA countries is required in order to minimize the further spread and to strengthen the evidence base on the characteristics and transmission pattern of the disease.
  • Suspected, probable or confirmed cases of COVID19 should be reported to the public health authorities and managed in accordance with national guidance and/or WHO’s patient management guidelines

15 February

• ECDC informs countries
  • Further P-P transmission in EU
  • Hospital associated transmission suspected in 41% of hospitalised Wuhan patients
• WHO
  • "We must be guided by solidarity, not stigma. The greatest enemy we face is not the virus itself; it’s the stigma that turns us against each other. We must stop stigma and hate.“ Dr Tedros

17 February

• WHO issues guidance on mass gathering and taking care of ill travellers
  • Based on lessons from H1N1 and Ebola, WHO has outlined planning considerations for organizers of mass gatherings, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. It has also issued advice on how to detect and take care of ill travellers, who are suspected COVID-19 cases.

18 February

• WHO has shipped supplies of personal protective equipment to 21 countries.
  • By the end of this week, 40 countries in Africa and 29 in the Americas are due to have the ability to detect COVID-19

21 February

• WHO Director-General warns that the window of opportunity is “narrowing”
• Special envoys on COVID-19 selected
  • Professor Dr Maha El Rabbat, former Minister of Health of Egypt;
  • Dr David Nabarro, former special adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General
  • Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention;
  • Dr Mirta Roses, former Director of the WHO Region of the Americas;
  • Dr Shin Young-soo, former Regional Director of the WHO Region of the Western Pacific;
  • Professor Samba Sow, Director-General of the Center for Vaccine Development in Mali.

22 February

• ECDC informs countries
  • Viral shedding expected to be similar to Influenza
• WHO
  • During the past month about 11 000 African health workers have been trained using WHO’s online courses on COVID-19, which are available free of charge in English, French & other languages
  • WHO’s Director-General and Regional Director for Africa addressed an emergency meeting of ministers of health to agree on a continental strategy for Africa to strengthen preparedness and responses to the COVID-19 outbreak

22 February

• ECDC informs countries
  • Viral shedding expected to be similar to Influenza
• WHO
  • During the past month about 11 000 African health workers have been trained using WHO’s online courses on COVID-19, which are available free of charge in English, French & other languages
  • WHO’s Director-General and Regional Director for Africa addressed an emergency meeting of ministers of health to agree on a continental strategy for Africa to strengthen preparedness and responses to the COVID-19 outbreak

24 February

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with the WHO Director-General and other WHO leaders, receiving a briefing on COVID-19, Ebola and polio. He expressed great admiration for health workers, including in China, who are working tirelessly to save lives. The UN Secretary-General also stressed that there is no space for stigma and discrimination and said we must be guided by science and human rights-based interventions
• A team of experts from WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will focus on: understanding how events developed, learning from the Italian experience and supporting control and prevention efforts by the authorities.
• To limit further human to human transmission, WHO experts will provide support in the areas of clinical management, infection prevention and control, surveillance and risk communication.

25 February

• The team of 25 international and Chinese experts travelled to several different provinces, with a small group going to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
  • Among the team's findings was that the epidemic peaked and plateaued between the 23rd of January and the 2nd of February, and has been declining steadily since then. The team also estimates that the measures taken in China have averted a significant number of cases.
  • In a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday 25 February, Dr Bruce Aylward, the mission's lead, reported back on what China has done, its impact and implications.
• The WHO Director-General has repeatedly called for "solidarity, not stigma" to address COVID-19. 
  • WHO has worked with UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on a guide to preventing and addressing the social stigma associated with the disease. 
  • It's vital to fight stigma because it can drive people to hide the illness, not seek health care immediately and discourage them from adopting healthy behaviours. 
  • This guide includes some tips and messages, as well as dos and don'ts on language when talking about COVID-19.

26 February

• ECDC publishes Checklist for hospitals preparing for the reception and care of (COVID-19) patients
  • Elements to be assessed have been divided into the following areas:
    • Establishment of a core team and key internal and external contact points
    • Human, material and facility capacity
    • Communication and data protection
    • Hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), and waste management
    • Triage, first contact and prioritisation
    • Patient placement, moving of the patients in the facility, and visitor access
    • Environmental cleaning
• WHO: Get your workplace ready for COVID-19

27 February

• WHO: What every country should be asking itself
  • Are we ready for the first case?
  • Do we have enough medical oxygen, ventilators and other vital equipment?
  • How will we know if there are cases in other areas of the country?
  • Do our health workers have the training and equipment they need to stay safe?
  • Do we have the right measures at airports and border crossings to test people who are sick?
  • Do our labs have the right chemicals that allow them to test samples?
  • Are we ready to treat patients with severe or critical disease?
  • Do our hospitals and clinics have the right procedures to prevent and control infections?
  • Do our people have the right information? Do they know what the disease looks like?

28 February

• WHO: What every individual can do to protect themselves and others

29 February

• ECDC informs countries
  • In EU: 770 cases / 18 deaths in 19 countries

1 March

• UN releases US$15 million for COVID-19 response

2 March

• ECDC RRA COVID19 (#5)
  • Immediate activation of national emergency response mechanisms and pandemic preparedness plans to ensure containment and mitigation of COVID-19 with non-pharmaceutical public health measures.
  • Ensuring the general public is aware of the seriousness of COVID-19. A high degree of population understanding, community engagement and acceptance of the measures put in place (including more stringent social ** distancing) are key in preventing further spread.
  • Implementation of protocols for COVID-19 laboratory testing, diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.
  • Enhancement of surveillance, epidemiological investigation, close contact tracing, management of close contacts, immediate case detection and isolation.
  • Implementation of social distancing (e.g. the suspension of large-scale gatherings and the closure of schools and workplaces) to interrupt the chains of transmission.
  • Adapted risk communication and provision of adequate personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and rigorous application of infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities.
  • Provision of adequate healthcare capacity to isolate, support and actively treat patients.
  • Publishes COVID19 case definition (issues reported)
• WHO:
  • Publishes COVID19 case definition (issues reported)
  • Mission of WHO experts arrive in Iran
  • “There’s no choice but to act now” (WHO, Dr Tedros)

3 March

• Shortage of personal protective equipment endangering health workers worldwide

5 March

• WHO: Director-General emphasized that the COVID-19 epidemic “can be pushed back, but only with a collective coordinated and comprehensive approach that engages the entire machinery of government.”

6 March

• WHO publishes draft R&D blueprint draft for COVID-19
  • The R&D roadmap for COVID-19 outlines research priorities in 9 key areas. These include the natural history of the virus, epidemiology, diagnostics, clinical management, ethical considerations and social sciences, as well as longer-term goals for therapeutics and vaccines.

7 March

• ECDC informs countries
  • In EU: 4738 cases / 140 deaths in 27 countries
• WHO
  • Marking 100 000 cases worldwide

8 March

• WHO:
  • Interim guidance on critical preparedness, readiness and response actions

9 March

• WHO: “The rule of the game is: never give up.”
  • “We are not at the mercy of this virus,” said the WHO Director-General at the 9 March media briefing.
  • All countries must aim to stop transmission and prevent the spread of COVID-19, whether they face no cases, sporadic cases, clusters or community transmission.
  • “Let hope be the antidote to fear. Let solidarity be the antidote to blame. Let our shared humanity be the antidote to our shared threat"

10 March

• ECDC Publishes Discharge criteria for confirmed COVID-19 cases
• Answers to questions
  • What is the duration of SARS-CoV-2 virus shedding in bodily fluids of
    • Symptomatic patients after remission of symptoms?
    • Asymptomatic patients?
  • Which tests are available to document the lack of infectivity in a previously diagnosed infection?
  • What is the longest documented transmission from an asymptomatic person?
• WHO:
  • Provides guidance to help people manage fear, stigma and discrimination during COVID-19
  • WHO issues schools guidance with UNICEF and IFRC

11 March

• WHO declares a pandemic

12 March

• ECDC Publishes Infection prevention and control for COVID-19 in healthcare settings
  • This update addresses the possible limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene materials, and environmental hygiene materials for healthcare facilities
• ECDC RRA COVID19 (#6)
  • Need for immediate targeted action
    • Situation similar to China and Italy threatens to occur in other countries within days or weeks
  • Social distancing
    • Immediate isolation of suspect COVID19
    • Suspension of mass gathering
    • Teleworking
    • Closure of schools
    • Cordon sanitaire around communities with high transmission
  • Public awareness & solidarity
  • IPC in HealthCare
  • Train HCW who might be asked for support
  • Surveillance should focus on rapid case detection, shifting to assessing the effectiveness of community measures

13 March

• WHO, UN Foundation and partners launch first-of-its-kind COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
• Europe becomes the epicenter of the pandemic
• Launch of #SafeHands Challenge

14 March

• ECDC informs countries
  • In EU: 22 753 cases / 1032 deaths in all countries

16 March

• WHO: "You cannot fight a fire blindfolded.“
  • Countries should test every suspected case of COVID-19.
  • If people test positive, they should be isolated and the people they have been in close contact with up to 2 days before they developed symptoms should be sought out, and those people should be tested too if they show symptoms of COVID-19.
  • WHO also advises that all confirmed cases, even mild cases, should be isolated in health facilities, to prevent transmission and provide adequate care.
  • But we recognize that many countries have already exceeded their capacity to care for mild cases in dedicated health facilities.
  • In that situation, countries should prioritize older patients and those with underlying conditions.

17 March

• ECDC Publishes Guidance for health system contingency planning during widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 with high impact on healthcare services
  • Approaches on how to increase capacity for managing COVID-19 cases in the context of widespread sustained SARS-CoV-2 transmission
• WHO:
  • New guidance on people affected by humanitarian crises
  • WHO calls for urgent, aggressive actions to combat COVID-19, as cases soar in South-East Asia Region

18 March

• European Medicines Agency (EMA): (Also published by WHO)
  • On 18 March 2020, EMA published a statement on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for COVID-19.
  • There is currently no scientific evidence establishing a link between ibuprofen and worsening of COVID‑19
• More than 320 000 learners enrol in online COVID-19 courses
• WHO Launch of SOLIDARITY trial

19 March

• WHO Regional Office for Africa holds joint COVID-19 media briefing with World Economic Forum
  • Guidance published: Operational considerations for case management of COVID-19 in health facility and community
• UN Secretary-General calls for solidarity, hope and political will

20 March

• WHO: Young people "are not invincible"
  • Speaking at the COVID-19 media briefing, the Director-General said:
  • "Although older people are the hardest hit, younger people are not spared. Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 make up a significant proportion of patients requiring hospitalization. Today, I have a message for young people: you are not invincible. This virus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you. Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else. I’m grateful that so many young people are spreading the word and not the virus.“
• WHO Health Alert for coronavirus launches on WhatsApp

21 March

• ECDC informs countries
  • In EU: 74 362 cases / 3694 deaths in all countries

23 March

• WHO and FIFA team up on a campaign to kick out coronavirus