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First Cases of Covid-19
Patients in Wuhan, China, developed symptoms of an illness different from most. They experience shortness of breath, fever, chills, and loss of taste. WHO states that it may be tied to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market and this market is closed down. -
Identification of Covid-19
The World Health Organization officially announces the identification of Coronavirus as the cause of the infections in Wuhan, China. Other health organizations will begin to confirm this data in the coming days. -
CDC Issues First Quarantine Orders
All citizens who traveled back from Wuhan, China to the U.S. are mandated to quarantine for 14 days. This becomes the new standard for travel safety and will outline procedures for months to come. Testing pre and post-travel becomes the standard. -
Covid-19 is Declared a Pandemic
The World Health Organization officially declares Covid-19 a pandemic after over 4,000 worldwide deaths. The Trump Administration issues a nationwide emergency and adds a travel ban to non-U.S. citizens traveling from Europe. Cruise ships are ordered not to sail, and the U.S. begins to enter a lockdown. -
First Human Vaccine Trials
Moderna starts the first trials of a Covid-19 vaccine on humans in Seattle, Washington. The University of Minnesota begins testing hydroxychloroquine, and CMS expands healthcare services and benefits. Around the same time, California issues a stay-at-home order and shuts downs all non-essential businesses. -
Record Unemployment
Unemployment reaches 14.7% with over 20 million people out of work. The hospitality and travel industries are hit the hardest due to increased stay-at-home orders, whereas other industries such as education and finance can continue to operate via the web interface Zoom. -
First Reinfection Case
The first case of Covid-19 reinfection is confirmed by the University of Hong Kong, with the first in the U.S. following shortly after. The U.S. declines to join COVAX (Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility) which has 170 countries signed up, sparking a controversy that the Administration does not care for its citizens' health. -
Vaccine Effectivness
Moderna and Pfizer's Vaccines are found to be 95.4% and 95% effective respectively. The CDC recommends Americans do not travel for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays while insisting on tests before travel. This furthermore impacts the travel and hospitality industry, leaving many without jobs. -
Variants
The first variant of Covid-19, "alpha", is detected and prevention measures are reinstated. Additional variants called "gamma" and "delta" are identified in the coming days, and the public is re-warned to stick to Covid prevention protocols. There is a heightened fear that these new variants may be worse than the original. -
New Rules for the Vaxxed
CDC states that those fully vaccinated can gather safely indoors without a mask and social distancing. One year anniversary of Covid-19 follows a few days later and 100 million vaccine doses have been administered, marking progress over the past year.