Removed from emergency status in 2023! Covid-19 deaths continue

The first signs of Covid-19 emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Initially described as a mysterious respiratory illness, it quickly became a global threat. The first death was recorded in early 2020, and it was understood that the source of the disease was a mutated version of a beta coronavirus found in bats.

SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC AND MEASURES TAKEN

Covid-19 was first seen outside of China in Thailand on January 13, 2020. It then spread to Japan, the US, and Europe. On January 30, 2020, the WHO "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" declared, and on March 11, 2020, it defined the outbreak as a "pandemic".

To prevent the spread of the outbreak, mask-wearing was made mandatory in many countries, and schools and workplaces shifted to online operations. On June 5, 2020, the WHO published a report encouraging the use of masks. During this period, PCR tests became widespread and quarantine measures were implemented.

VARIANTS AND VACCINE STUDIES

Towards the end of 2020, mutations of the virus led to the emergence of new variants. The WHO classified these variants as "Variant of Concern" and "Variant of Interest" Variants such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron increased the transmissibility of the virus.

Vaccine development progressed rapidly, and the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine became the first to receive approval on December 2, 2020. With the introduction of other vaccines in 2021, the process of returning to normal life began. The European Medicines Agency granted approval for Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid in November 2021.

CURRENT SITUATION

The WHO declared on May 5, 2023, that Covid-19 was no longer a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern."However, deaths continue worldwide. To date, more than 7 million people have lost their lives. The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are among the countries with the highest number of deaths. More than 13 billion doses of vaccines have been administered globally, and the total number of cases has exceeded 777 million. The pandemic continues to maintain its impact.

News Source: 12punto