Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The first known case was identified in wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 Pandamic
WHO named variants of concern and variants of interest using greek letters. The initial practice of naming them according to where the variants were identified is no longer common. A more systematic naming scheme reflects the variant's PANGO lineage and is used for other variants.
As 2020 comes to an end and people around the world try to make sense of how the world has changed, they are faced with one stark and brutal statistic. The number of people who have died after catching COVID-19, is creeping towards the two million mark.
The United Nations did stay open for business across the world, although most of the key events, like the annual meeting of the new session of the General Assembly in New York, did look very different. Only a small number of delegates were allowed into the chamber as world leaders gave their speeches virtually.
Because excess mortality (the number of fatalities in a period relative to a long-term average) figures show an increase in deaths that cannot be explained by COVID-19 deaths alone, it has been argued that official death counts underreport the true death toll.[69] These data have been used to estimate the true number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide. The Economist[4][69] estimated 18.2 to 33.5 million (≈27.4 million) by 18 November 2023, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation[70] estimated over 18.5 million by 1 April 2023, and a comprehensive international study estimated ≈18.2 million (earlier) deaths between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021.[71] These deaths include those brought on by priorities and capacity limitations in the healthcare system, as well as a refusal to seek
People were adjusting to the new social distancing rules all throughout the world……
The world economy was harmed by the pandemic and the reactions to it. Concerns about the epidemic caused US stock indexes to plummet on February 27, 2020, marking the largest declines since 2008.
The cause of the supply shortages was the disruption of factory and logistical operations; labor shortages and supply chain disruptions from port and plant closures made the shortages worse
The epidemic affected several aspects of world health. Hospital visits decreased.In the US and Spain, visits for heart attack symptoms decreased by 38% and 40%, respectively."My worry is some of these people are dying at home because they're too scared to go to the hospital," stated the University of Arizona's chief of cardiology.Stroke and appendicitis patients were less likely to seek medical attention.Many were impacted by the shortage of medical supplies.The pandemic had an effect on mental health, impacting patients, healthcare professionals, and those under quarantine. It increased anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Managers misjudged the rate of economic recovery following the original financial crisis, which resulted in ongoing shortages. Particularly the technology sector issued postponement alerts due to underestimating the need for semiconductors in automobiles and other products.
