From the first cases in central China to hopes of a vaccine a year later, here are a dozen key developments in the spread and subsequent fight against Covid-19. 1.
First death On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) is alerted to a cluster of pneumonia cases "of unknown cause" in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
On 7 January 2020 a new coronavirus is identified. Four days later China announces its first death in Wuhan from an illness which will be named Covid-19. 2.
Wuhan cut off On 23 January Wuhan is placed under quarantine and cut off from the world. Countries start to repatriate their citizens from China.