COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding COVID-19 on 30 January 2020, and later declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 14 May 2021, more than 161 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 3.34 million deaths attributed to COVID-19, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. Symptoms of COVID-19 are highly variable, ranging from none to life-threateningly severe. Transmission of COVID-19 commonly occurs when people are exposed to respiratory droplets or small airborne particles exhaled by an infected person. Those particles may be inhaled or may reach the mouth, nose, or eyes of a person directly (i.e. being coughed on) or through touching with contaminated hands. The risk of infection is highest when people are in close proximity, but particles can travel long distances and remain suspended in the air for minutes to hours, particularly indoors in poorly ventilated spaces. People remain contagious for up to 20 days, and can spread the virus even if they do not develop any symptoms.

 

 Recommended preventive measures include social distancing, wearing face masks in public, ventilation and air-filtering, hand washing, covering one's mouth when sneezing or coughing, disinfecting surfaces, and monitoring and self-isolation for people exposed or symptomatic. Several vaccines have been developed and widely distributed since December 2020. Current treatments focus on addressing symptoms, but work is underway to develop medications that inhibit the virus. Authorities worldwide have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns/quarantines, workplace hazard controls, and business closures. Numerous jurisdictions have also worked to increase testing capacity and trace contacts of the infected.

The pandemic has resulted in significant global social and economic disruption, including the largest global recession since the Great Depression. It has led to widespread supply shortages exacerbated by panic buying, agricultural disruption, and food shortages. However, there have also been decreased emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Numerous educational institutions and public areas have been partially or fully closed, and many events have been cancelled or postponed. Misinformation has circulated through social media and mass media. The pandemic has raised issues of racial and geographic discrimination, health equity, and the balance between public health imperatives and individual rights.