The number of victims, sick and dead, of the pandemic affecting the planet is reaching new records as the world passes the first year of its discovery.
First victim
Exactly one year ago, after the announcement on December 31 of an unknown “pneumonia” in Wuhan, China, Beijing announced, on January 11, the first official death of what was to be called Covid-19.
First containment in the world
The city of Wuhan and its 11 million inhabitants are cut off from the world as of January 23. Seventy-seven day confinement much stricter than those later applied by Western countries.
Repatriation
At the same time, without understanding the extent of the danger, countries around the world are repatriating their nationals who were in China.
First death outside Asia… In France
February 15, a Chinese tourist who had been hospitalized in France dies there.
Italy confined
On March 6, the world reached the first 100,000 contaminations. On March 9, theItaly confines its territory.
“Pandemic”
It was on March 11, two months exactly after the first death announced in China, that the World Health Organization (WHO) qualified the situation as a “pandemic”. Europe is considered the epicenter of it: their nationals can no longer access a number of countries, including the United States. The stock markets are plunging.
Runaway in Europe
On March 15, for the first time, the rest of the world recorded a number of coronavirus cases greater than that seen in China, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Along with Italy, Spain, Germany and France are among the seven most affected countries in the world. The countries of the European Union are gradually closing their schools, universities, restaurants, bars and cinemas. Spain, France or Belgium are taking containment measures from March 17. The European Union closes its external borders for 30 renewable days
Half of humanity
On April 2, more than 3.9 billion people, or half of humanity, must go into confinement, according to a tally from theAFP. The milestone of one million recorded cases has been crossed.
China looks up, the rest of the world dives
Containment was lifted in Wuhan on April 8 as a state of emergency was declared in Japan, and the epidemic accelerated in United States, which is becoming the new hotbed of the pandemic.
Spring deconfinement in Europe
Europe is gradually deconfining from the end of April. The European Commission forecasts an unprecedented economic crisis with a contraction in economic activity of around -7.4% for the EU as a whole and -7.7% for the countries of the euro zone.
400,000 dead
On June 7, the pandemic exceeded 400,000 deaths and progressed strongly in Latin America. Brazil becomes the second most bereaved country, behind the United States, while its president Jair Bolsonaro downplays the severity of the disease which he describes as “grippette”. He himself will be infected, like Donald Trump, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
July 21: EU recovery plan
European leaders unanimously adopted the 2021-2027 European budget as well as the Recovery plan back-to-back, during a European Council in Brussels. Called “Next Generation EU”, the recovery plan plans to invest 750 billion euros to support Member States.
Generalization of the mask
During the summer, most European countries begin to generalize the wearing of masks. Over the weeks, it will first become compulsory in closed public places, then gradually in the fall, in the street.
A million dead
On September 28, nine months after the onset of Covid-19, the pandemic killed more than a million people. The United States, Brazil and India are the countries most affected, but in Europe, the curve of cases is rising again.
European Reconfinement
October 19, first of all Wales and Ireland. Then France on October 28. On November 2, Belgium, United Kingdom and Austria follow.
First vaccine
On November 9 the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer/BioNTech announces a first vaccine effective at least 90%.
Second vaccine
American biotechnology company Modern announced on November 16 a second vaccine 94.5% effective against Covid-19.
First vaccine in UK
A few days before the end of the transitional period of Brexit, symbolically, the United Kingdom, which has unilaterally validated the Pfizer / BioNTech product, is proceeding with the first vaccine in the world, December 8.
European validation
December 21: The European Commission validates the conditional marketing authorization for the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine.
British variant
After the discovery ofa new strain of coronavirus which is said to be 70% more contagious than that currently circulating on the continent, the United Kingdom reconfigured the south of England on December 20. Several countries, including France, unilaterally close their borders with the British before the EU coordinates.
December 27 to 29: first European vaccinations
With varying fortunes and strategies, France only inoculated the vaccine to 432 people a week later, when Germany has already treated 239,000 people and Italy 88,000.
January 5: new peak
London must reconfine urgently and the rest of Europe is tightening its restrictions, because of the new variant. In the United States, a new death peak was reached on January 5, 2021 with 3,930 deaths in 24 hours. The country remains the most bereaved in the world (more than 368,000 victims as of January 9).
The hope of vaccines
As of January 9, 2021, around fifty countries have initiated vaccination campaigns and at least 22 million doses have been administered worldwide.
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