COVID-19 Milestones Around the World and at Northwestern Medicine
Updated March 2023
In 2020, life changed across the globe.
Though initially discovered in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, COVID-19 entered the conversation in the U.S. in January 2020, when theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted the nationof the outbreak abroad. Later that month, the first national case of COVID-19 was reported in the state of Washington; by January 24, the virus hadmade its way to Chicago.
The outbreak escalated quickly from there, during a period of uncertainty about how the virus was transmitted, how quickly it could spread and how much of a threat it was to public health.
By March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared COVID-19 a global health emergency and named the virus "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" or "SARS-CoV-2." It was also in March that WHO officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced it will end the COVID-19 public health emergency declarations on May 11, 2023.
Three years after the WHO pandemic declaration, Northwestern Medicine looks back at the milestones we’ve passed and the medical advances we’ve achieved that continue to save lives.
The specific timeline for recovering from COVID-19 varies based on several factors, like age and the presence of other health problems. All said, most people recover within two to four weeks unless they have a severe illness, in which case it may take up to 12 weeks.
More than 1 million people have died from COVID-19 in the US since the virus first emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a pandemic.
In the beginning of the COVID-19 US epidemic in March 2020, sweeping lockdowns and other aggressive measures were put in place and retained in many states until end of August of 2020; the ensuing economic downturn has led many to question the wisdom of the early COVID-19 policy measures in the US.
Key points. People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Symptoms may start as mild, and some people will progress to more severe symptoms.
On average, a mild to moderate COVID-19 infection lasts for 10 days. However, how quickly you bounce back from a COVID-19 infection depends on various factors, including your health before the infection, any underlying conditions you may have, and which variant of the virus you have contracted.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
