Wion Wideangle: The Story of The Wuhan Virus

Corona-virus outbreak is killing people.

December 31st 2019

China alerted the World Health Organization to several cases of what it called...

unusual pneumonia in Wuhan

a city of 11 million people.

January 1st 2020

as health experts work to identify the unknown virus

the alleged source of origin

the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was shut down

but, it was too little, too late.

January 14...

the W.H.O. tweeted that there was no human to human transmission of the virus

it could not have been more wrong.

In the four and a half months since

the corona virus has brought daily life to a grinding halt in much of the world.

Despite the best efforts of the scientists

there is still much we do not know and understand.

A planet-wide experiment to try and find answers is in full swing

here are some of the big questions that must be answered.

Where exactly did the corona virus come from?

How deadly is it really?

This is very distressing to me because...

I don't know if this is gonna be the next chef that I go in and I get the virus.

What are the full range of symptoms?

How exactly does it spread?

Can the virus mutate?

Are we any closer to finding a cure?

And most importantly, the China shrug off its responsibility.

Lies, deceit, and a mounting death toll

the covert 19 pandemic has challenged our modern civilization

and it has changed the way we live forever.

On the show today, we tracked the journey of the Corona-virus

from Wuhan to the rest of the world.

We look at all the critical moments of the Corona-virus crisis

perhaps it will answer some of the questions that we have posed.

The earliest date of symptoms onset

according to a study in the journal Lancet is December 1st.

7 days later, on December 8th

a patient the Chinese city of Wuhan sought medical help for pneumonia like symptoms.

Local hospitals in the Hubei province reported 4 cases of a pneumonia of

unknown etiology on December 29th.

All the cases were linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market

they've identified by local hospitals using a surveillance mechanism.

This method was developed more than 17 years ago

in the wake of the SARS outbreak.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

was first noted in the Guangdong province in china, in November 2002.

The virus thought to have originated from bats

before transferring to Civet, was aggressive and lethal.

Chinese government was criticized for responding slowly to the outbreak

concealing the seriousness of the illness.

It spread to much of the world

although, most cases remained in Asia.

Before fizzling out, the SARS epidemic affected 26 countries

and resulted in more than 8,000 cases and 774 deaths.

17 years later, on December 31st 2019

China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia

in people living in Wuhan.

This time too, the responsible pathogen was another Corona-virus

that managed to jump species from animals to humans.

The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was shot on January 1st

but by the 7th, the number of suspected cases had risen to 59.

World Health Organization announced that they had identified a new virus

the novel Corona-virus or 2019 nCOV.

China announced its 1st death from the novel Corona-virus on January 11th.

This was reported two days later after a 61 year old man

who purchased goods from the Seafood Market was admitted to a hospital.

Thailand became the first country to report a Corona-virus case outside China.

A 61 year old woman, a Chinese tourists from Wuhan

the city from which the outbreak originated tested positive.

By January 14th

Wuhan started implementing screening measures for travelers leaving the city

at airports, railway stations and other passenger terminals.

But there were no travel restrictions.

Japan became the 2nd country to report a confirmed Corona-virus case outside China.

The first Corona-virus case in Japan was reported on January 16

man in his mid-30s who had visited Wuhan.

On January 17, the 2nd fatality took place in China.

A man aged 69 died in Wuhan.

While in Thailand, a 2nd case emerged, a 74 year old woman

A day later, a third person died from the Corona-virus in China.

On January 20th

the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

categorized the novel Corona-virus as a Class B infectious disease

but stated that the agency would be adopting Class A measures to prevent & control the virus.

A confusing statement.

On the same day, China confirmed a 4th death

an 89 year old man.

Chinese state TV also confirmed that human-to-human transmission was taking place

but the country implemented no travel restrictions.

By now South Korea too, confirmed its first case.

America reported its first Corona-virus case in the state of Washington on January 21st.

A man with the travel history to Wuhan

At the same time new cases were announced in China

including in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai

But the ugly face of the Corona-virus started showing

when China confirmed that 15 medical workers in Wuhan

had been diagnosed with the Corona-virus.

On the same day, Hong Kong and Taiwan confirmed their first cases.

Singapore confirmed its first case on January 23rd.

by now China CDC had reported 830 patients in mainland China and 25 deaths.

The first fatality outside of the Hubei province was reported in Hebei.

And finally, Wuhan was placed under a sweeping quarantine.

As expected, multiple countries started reporting Corona-virus cases.

But the W.H.O. still did not declare the outbreak

a public health emergency of international concern.

Nepal, Vietnam, France and Malaysia confirmed their first cases.

In Wuhan

construction crews started working on two new hospitals to accommodate the influx of patients

and it was clear that the mysterious virus had overwhelmed medical workers.

A doctor from China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the fast spreading virus

died on January 25th due to the deadly disease

becoming the first medical professional to a fallen victim to it.

Meanwhile, Australia and Canada confirmed their first cases.

January 25th also marks the first day of the Chinese New Year.

It is China's busiest travel season

is hundreds of millions criss cross the country to get home

for the Lunar New Year family reunions.

Nearly 5 million people at left Wuhan

before travel restrictions were imposed ahead of the Chinese New Year.

On January 26th, Chinese authorities announced a ban on wildlife trade

in markets, supermarkets, restaurants and e-commerce platforms.

The highly unsanitary conditions under which wild animals are illegally traded

had already been proven to create ideal conditions for viruses to cross the species barrier

to humans after the SARS outbreak.

This was a clampdown that China should have implemented in 2003.

The Wuhan-virus continued its deadly spread

and more countries joined the list

Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Germany reported infections by January 27th.

United Arab Emirates confirmed its first case, and then Finland.

Airlines in America, Europe and Asia started suspending flights to China.

On January 30th, India confirmed its first case in the state of Kerala

a student who had returned from the Wuhan University.

Philippines too reported a Covid-19 infection.

The United States confirmed its 6th case

the first person-to-person transmission of the Corona-virus in the country.

It was at this juncture

that the W.H.O. declared the Corona-virus outbreak as a public health emergency.

And within one month of reporting its first case

Germany found evidence of a symptomatic transmission of the Corona-virus.

Russia, Italy and the United Kingdom reported their first cases.

The Wuhan-virus had reached more than a dozen countries across the globe

but for the W.H.O., it was not a pandemic, yet.

India's national carrier, Air India conducted its first evacuation process

out of Wuhan, on the 1st of February.

Ahead of the first flight, the Indian government sent two of its diplomats

Deepak Padmakumar & M Balakrishnan to Wuhan by road

through Changzhou city.

In the first flight, 324 Indians were evacuated

setting in motion, one of the largest evacuation operations in history.

The Huoshenshan Hospital, which was set up in a record ten days in Wuhan

admitted its first batch of patients suffering from the novel Corona-virus, on 4th February.