Global response

ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses when and how the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic following its first emergence in Wuhan, China. Different countries around the world tried to contain the virus through taking cautionary steps by initiating at least a 2-week lockdown and by following recommendations on implementing social distancing of 6 feet, the wearing of masks in public, and washing hands with warm water and soap for at least 20s. COVID-19 is believed to have originated from bats and believed to have spread all around the world before it was first diagnosed in Wuhan, China. As the virus swept the world, some countries, such as Italy, faced a shortage of hospital beds. New York, which also faced a hospital bed shortage very early on during the pandemic, was declared an epicenter of the virus in the United States. Moreover, nursing homes in many developing countries were badly hit and reported a high number of deaths related to COVID-19. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.