- [Narrator] This is the city of Wuhan.
It is home to an estimated 11 million people
in eastern China.
It is here where health officials believe
the new coronavirus originated
and eventually spread across the globe.
Cases of the disease it causes, known as Covid-19,
have risen rapidly as health officials have worked
to contain the virus.
Here's how Covid-19 became a global pandemic.
On December 1st, 2019, a patient in Wuhan
begins to show symptoms of viral pneumonia,
according to a report in the Lancet medical journal.
That patient is believed to be the first
documented case of the virus.
Throughout the month, a series of pneumonia cases
of unknown cause emerge in Wuhan.
Symptoms include a fever, labored breathing and a dry cough.
At the end of the month, the Chinese government
informs the World Health Organization
of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.
Between December 31st and January 3rd,
a total of 44 cases are reported to the WHO.
Many of the patients were found to have visited
an open air seafood and animal market within the city.
Chinese authorities shut down the market,
and on January 5th, the WHO reports the infection
could be connected to exposure to live animals.
Chinese scientists discover some patients are infected
with a new strain of coronavirus,
according to Chinese state media.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses
that include the common cold.
At this point, there are no documented instances
of human to human transmission.
On January 11th, China reports the first death
from the disease in Wuhan.
Concerns grow about the ability to contain the virus
over the upcoming Chinese lunar new year,
when millions of people travel across the country.
Wuhan is connected to other major Chinese cities
by nearly 22,000 miles of high speed rail,
and connected to the world via an international airport
that transports 24 and a half million passengers a year,
and connects to 30 cities around the globe.
A Chinese tourist traveling from the Wuhan area
is found to have a fever after arriving at the airport
in Bangkok, Thailand.
On January 13th, this person is confirmed
to have the first case of the new coronavirus
outside of mainland China.
Over the next week, cases appear across Asia,
and in the United States as well.
According to the WHO, on January 23rd,
there are 581 confirmed cases globally.
As health officials announce the virus can spread
between humans, the Chinese government
cuts train and air travel out of Wuhan,
effectively quarantining the entire city
in an effort to contain the spread.
With over 7,800 confirmed cases, the WHO declares
the coronavirus a global public health emergency,
indicating authorities believe the virus
is a significant threat beyond China.
In Yokohama, Japan, passengers aboard
the Diamond Princess cruise liner are quarantined.
For almost three weeks, passengers are confined
to the ship as they are tested for the virus.
696 people on the ship are ultimately confirmed
to be infected, including some Americans.
A week later, the WHO officially names the disease Covid-19.
The name is an abbreviated form of coronavirus disease 2019.
On February 17th, the number of new cases
reported by the WHO rises sharply,
after Chinese authorities change the criteria
for diagnosing the illness, raising concerns
that the virus is speeding up, not slowing down.
Up until this point, the vast majority of cases
have been confined to mainland China,
but by February 24th, new cases flare
in South Korea, Italy and Iran.
In the United States, thousands of people
are asked to self quarantine to curtail infections
in several states.
State health officials in California, Oregon and Washington
report new cases of Covid-19 with no travel history to China
or known exposure to carriers.
Worries increase that the virus is spreading
in American communities.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally
tops 100,000, as President Trump signs into law
an $8.3 billion spending bill to combat the virus.
Over the next week and a half, major sporting events
are canceled, schools and businesses are closed,
and many Americans are advised to stay home
to limit contact with others.
On March 13th, the President declares a national emergency,
as the virus continues to create major disruptions
to American life.
Covid-19 continues to spread
and impact communities around the globe,
as health officials monitor the disease,
and try to find ways to curtail it.
(mysterious music)