At this point, the situation in Wuhan had been diffused as a result of unprecedented control measures to contain the virus. Contrast that to Europe where they had an explosion of new cases and deaths. Europe was then considered the epicenter of the pandemic. Shortly thereafter, the US declared a state of emergency.
The race to develop a vaccination
In an attempt to address this new pandemic, strict measures were put in place around the world. Social distancing and travel restrictions were introduced in March, along with advice on proper hand-washing techniques. These measures were predicted not to solve the problem, but to slow the spread. It was decided by the worlds virologists a vaccine would be needed to end the pandemic.
It quickly became clear that initial restrictions placed on the population were not going to stop the spread of the disease. This facilitated stay-at-home orders throughout Europe. Lockdown orders became the norm. By April 2nd, cases topped 1 million.
At this point, the serious nature of the virus became evident. Governments continued to do what they could to slow the spread until a vaccine could be developed.
Variants change the game
The summer of 2020 did show a drop in cases, hospitalizations and death in many countries. The restrictions were credited with this drop. In August, a new variant of the virus, Lambda, caused cases to increase once again. A month later, the Alpha variant was first identified in the UK. The discovery of these variants was significant, it showed that the virus was evolving. As a result, symptoms and disease outcomes were changing.
With the emergence of these new variants, cases of COVID-19 began to rise again in many countries and by the 29th of September 2020, there had been 1 million COVID-19 deaths.
Vaccines become available
Instead of the standard multiple year time-line to develop and approve a vaccine, the COVID 19 vaccines were developed in record time. November 9th of 2020 brought the beginning of the vaccine trial data, demonstrating effectiveness.
December brought the discovery of the Delta variant, fueling a rise in cases once again. This caused many countries to re-institute lockdowns in some fashion.
At the end of 2020 the vaccines were given emergency 19 The Basics
use authorization. Initially there were 3 vaccines approved for use, depending in which country you were located. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca were the original authorized vaccine makers. By the end of April 2021 1 billion doses of vaccine had been administered.
Continued battle
COVID cases continued to rise and fall throughout 2021 and until mid 2022. At this point case numbers began to fall consistently with most generally thinking the disease passed from a pandemic to an endemic disease in our society. A worldwide spike in cases in January of 2023 caused alarm, but by February cases fell once again, confirming the endemic nature of this virus.
As variants continue to be produced and booster shots become available, we will continue the need to live with COVID as part of our daily lives. It remains a serious health threat but it is no longer widely considered a continuing worldwide pandemic.
We have learned a great deal about this disease since it was first discovered in late 2019. Our understanding of how COVID spreads, what treatments are available, how effective vaccination can be, all have continued to evolve as we learn more about the virus. It remains best practice to watch for trends of the disease and make decisions that will keep you safe.
Symptoms
According to the CDC, the following are the prevalent symptoms of COVID:
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. Possible symptoms include:
• Fever or chills • Cough • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Fatigue • Muscle or body aches • Headache • New loss of taste or smell • Sore throat • Congestion or runny nose • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea
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