After many years, it is not difficult to come across jokes on the Internet suggesting that if you had to name a city that changed your life, the answer would be Wuhan.
On December 11, 2019, the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China announced an unusual pneumonia illness, which had many symptoms resembling the flu. Since then, the entire world has changed.
Chaotic New Year in Wuhan
2020 began in a strange way in the city of Wuhan, which has a population of 11 million. It quickly transformed into a “ghost city” within weeks, right at the start of the new year, as residents were forced to stay indoors or try to escape from the mysterious pneumonia outbreak, causing extreme public panic at that time.
As of now, the exact date when the Covid-19 pandemic erupted and its origins are still officially unverified. Who “Patient Zero” was remains a controversial topic.
On December 11, 2019, a 57-year-old woman from Wuhan who tested positive for the coronavirus may be considered “Patient Zero” in the Covid-19 pandemic, according to SCMP.
Huanan Seafood Market – the first place where the new virus was detected has changed the world in so many ways.
On December 27, a hospital in Wuhan reported the situation to the local Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By December 31, the Wuhan CDC confirmed a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin linked to the Huanan Seafood Market. This was also the day the World Health Organization (WHO) was alerted by the Chinese authorities about a series of mysterious pneumonia cases.
Due to the mysterious and undetermined danger, as well as the potential for human-to-human transmission, the patients were isolated.
On January 9, 2020, WHO stated that the outbreak in Wuhan was caused by a previously unknown coronavirus, which could cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases like severe acute respiratory syndrome.
On January 11, Chinese health authorities reported the first death due to this disease, a 61-year-old man.
At the same time, travel restrictions were imposed. In a short time, many people sought ways to escape from Wuhan. Those who remained were isolated in their homes, adhering to strict lockdown orders. The “ghost city” status of Wuhan terrified and worried the world due to its unprecedented nature in recent times. However, the coronavirus continued to spread rapidly, initially within China and later globally. From Wuhan, many other cities were also locked down.
Wuhan at the end of 2019, beginning of 2020. This is the first city attacked by Covid-19 and became famous on the world map in an unwanted way.
Key Milestones of the Covid-19 Pandemic
On January 23, 2020, the first case of Covid-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus was confirmed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
On January 30, 2020, just about a month after the disease was discovered and attracted global attention, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency as thousands of new cases emerged in China.
On March 11, 2020, WHO officially declared the outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome (Covid-19) caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) a global pandemic.
Despite many countries and territories around the world implementing various measures to prevent the spread of the virus and strictly controlling immigration, there was no place where Covid-19 did not “invade”. The period of isolation, lockdown, and continuous reports of infections and deaths became a nightmare for everyone, without exception.
In the first four months of 2020, over 3 million infections and more than 210,000 deaths were confirmed. The United States was one of the hardest-hit countries. On May 28, 2020, the US recorded over 100,000 deaths due to Covid-19.
Continuous outbreaks occurred with peaks lasting from 2020 to 2022 across all five continents. Some places implemented extremely strict lockdowns and quarantines like China, while others adopted lighter measures like in Europe. Importantly, regardless of the approach, the pain and trauma of the pandemic affected and changed the lives of nearly everyone in the world. Vaccines became the primary tool in combating the disease in many places.
Images that remind us of the confusing “quarantine period” a few years ago.
While the specific and officially recognized statistics remain a controversial question, according to Worldometers, as of April 2024, more than 7 million people have died from Covid-19. Additionally, over 700 million cases of infection have been recorded.
In Vietnam, according to information from the Ministry of Health, as of January 15, 2024, the nation has recorded 11,625,195 Covid-19 cases and 43,206 deaths.
How Has Covid-19 Changed Us?
By the end of 2024, Covid-19 seems to have become a “new normal” disease. There are still people infected and new variants of the virus are rampant, but the world has returned to normalcy. Although the “normal” state before Covid-19 may never return for some, especially those who lost loved ones due to the pandemic, we can still say that this great challenge has passed.
After five years of reflection, Covid-19 resembles a nightmare that has passed. Whether one was infected and suffered physical health impacts from Covid-19 or not, our lives have all been changed in unforeseen ways.
The long months of isolation, restricted movement, and limited contact with others have led to countless cases of depression, the rise of remote work culture, and prevented hundreds of millions of students from attending school in person. Many meetings, opportunities, and moments “as normal,” “if it weren’t for Covid-19” have been missed.
Adults fortunate enough to keep their jobs had to work from home.
Children getting used to online learning.
Healthcare workers everywhere bravely fighting the pandemic day and night.
On a broader level, Covid-19 has profoundly impacted the global economy and society. In other words, no sector has been unaffected, and no one’s life has remained unchanged.
We cannot deny the dark side of the pandemic that has pushed many into illness, poverty, job loss, and especially the psychological burden of worry and loss, or even more tragically, the loss of loved ones.
However, the months of fighting and ultimately overcoming Covid-19 have taught us many lessons about the importance of both physical and mental health, the significance of connection, and ways for humanity to overcome unforeseen pandemics in the future.
Covid-19 is a pandemic that has had a profound impact on the world that we cannot forget.
Not limited by borders, the pandemic has taught us lessons about mutual support and how each individual has a responsibility to the community. At the same time, it has also spurred the continuous development of information technology, online education, and telehealth services.
The Covid-19 pandemic has become a harsh global phenomenon, shaking not only the economy, transportation, and global supply chains but also profoundly affecting the spiritual, cultural, and social lives of people.
These changes not only challenge the resilience of individuals but also compel nations to rethink their healthcare and social welfare policies, in order to steadfastly recover and confront any potential pandemics that may arise in an uncertain future.
