Five years ago, a pandemic hit the entire world caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome 2, and the disease it caused was COVID-19.
The outbreak declared in Wuhan, China, quickly transformed into a global health emergency, affecting all continents. In March 2020, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sounded the alarm about the seriousness of the coronavirus.
During the first two years of the pandemic, nearly 15 million people lost their lives to the disease, marking a historic turning point in the global fight against pandemics. Health systems were overwhelmed, and societies had to adapt to new realities, including lockdowns, social distancing and accelerated vaccine research.
In December 2020, the race for COVID-19 vaccines finally bore fruit, with the first large-scale vaccine authorizations. Five years later, it is crucial to remember that Covid is still circulating. The virus continues to influence public health across the world, with new variants.
