It’s been one year today, when a mysterious illness emerged in Wuhan, China, marking the start of the coronavirus pandemic that has now killed more than 1.25 million people around the world and infected tens of millions more.
First known Covid-19 case was traced to a 55-year old man who had visited the Wuhan market in Hubei Province in China.
Chinese authorities originally reported the first case was on December 31 and initial reports put the source of the pandemic down to a live animal wet market – the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market – but the cause is unknown.
The outbreak of the pandemic has changed the scenario across the world. Several countries had to enforce a lockdown to control the pandemic.
By the end of December Chinese government warned WHO Authority
saying that several cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause had been found in Wuhan.
Drugmakers and research centers around the world are working on COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates and tens of thousands of participants well underway.
The hunt for a vaccine too has been a long one. On Monday, US-based biotechnology giant Moderna announced on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine has shown to be 94.5 per cent effective in preventing the deadly disease, bringing a glimmer of hope to a world ravaged by the pandemic.
