COVID-19 and it Measures Applied to Quench the Pandemic
It's been quite a journey. Just over some years back in December 2019, an outbreak of a previously unknown virus was identified in Wuhan, China.
Since then, the virus—now known as COVID-19—has spread to more than 100 countries and has killed a good number of people all over the world. In late February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
It's been a little more than years since COVID-19 surfaced and wreaked havoc across the globe. But it's not a new virus. In fact, it can be traced back to as early as 2013, when it was first identified in Saudi Arabia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) was quick to sound the alarm, and on January 30, they declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. However, it wasn't until March that things really started to heat up. The number of cases reported daily had reached pandemic levels, and governments around the world were scrambling to contain the outbreak.
From Outbreak to Pandemic
It all started in December 2019, when reports of an outbreak of a new virus began to surface from Wuhan, China. The virus was quickly identified as COVID-19 on 11 February 2020, and within a few weeks, it spread to other parts of China and beyond.
As the virus continued to spread, concern grew about its potential to become a global pandemic. And that's exactly what happened— COVID-19 has now been confirmed around the world. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic, and that was how the situation continues till now the number of cases has reduced significantly.
How the World Responded
From the moment COVID-19 was identified in late 2019, the world scrambled to understand it. The virus had surfaced seemingly out of nowhere, and scientists were still trying to determine its origins and potential dangers.
The World Health Organization was among the first international organizations to sound the alarm, declaring a public health emergency on January 30, 2020. As the virus began to spread rapidly, other agencies and governments joined the chorus of voices calling for action.
In many ways, the world's response was swift and coordinated. Airports and other transport hubs were put on high alert, border crossings were closed, and schools and businesses were shuttered.
International Relief Efforts
The WHO has been involved in a variety of international relief efforts, ranging from providing funding and resources to developing countries that are at a higher risk due to limited healthcare capabilities, to working with local governments to create quarantine measures and social distancing regulations. Additionally, the WHO has worked with manufacturers around the world to ensure that medical supplies such as masks and respirators are available where needed.
The international community also worked together on research and development initiatives aiming toward finding treatments and ultimately a vaccine for COVID-19. In March 2020, G20 leaders pledged $21 billion in funding towards this effort while individual countries like France pledged an additional $20 billion as well. It is clear that everyone was searching for answers in order to make sure this pandemic does not become a prolonged deadly crisis.
The Development of Vaccines
When the virus spread across the world, scientists were scrambling to come up with a solution. And it was around December 2020 when the first vaccine was approved in the US, followed by dozens of other countries approving their own vaccines.
This was an unprecedented achievement for science—vaccines for a brand-new virus had been developed and distributed in less than a year. Scientists still don't quite know how they were able to do this in such a short period of time, but some have attributed it to the power of global collaboration and advanced technology.
Using cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology, scientists were able to rapidly identify the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2 and develop highly effective vaccines within months—a process that normally takes years. This allowed for the mass production of vaccines much more quickly than usual.
Sources:
https://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-COVID-19.aspx
https://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-COVID-19.aspx
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-78334-1_7
https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/history-disease-outbreaks-vaccine-timeline/covid-19
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These were definitely hard times while the virus was at its maximum expression, I was one of those who did not want to be vaccinated, but I had to do it because if I traveled they would ask me for the vaccines, I know of an elderly person who did not She has not even had her first vaccine and thank God she is alive and very strong, while other people have not liked her very much.
Personally, I don't care if I have it or not (vaccine) since being locked up for a long time I found myself on the spiritual side, meditation helped me a lot, it's strange to say this but, thanks to Covid-19 I was able to understand many things and Definitely if something like that or worse comes back, I already know that closing my eyes and doing conscious breathing will get an answer as to what I should do. Thanks for sharing @apunawu
Actually, the 2020 COVID-19 experience was one of the most horrible times I have ever witnessed in my life. But at the same time, I think the COVID-19 experience will actually tell people that the world can collapse within a period of time. So sorry that you went through a lot in 2020. I think the choice you took to get vaccinated before traveling was actually good at least to be on the safer side.