2020s

The 2022 mpox outbreak, formerly known as monkeypox, was the first time mpox spread widely outside of Africa. The outbre...

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in South Africa and Botswana in November 2021 and designated a Va...

The Delta variant B 1 617 2 was first identified in India in October 2020 and designated a Variant of Concern in May 202...

The basic reproduction number R0 pronounced R naught is a central concept in infectious disease epidemiology. R0 represe...

Negotiations for a WHO Pandemic Treaty, formally the WHO Pandemic Agreement, began in December 2021 after COVID 19 expos...

Fomite transmission refers to the spread of pathogens through contaminated surfaces or objects. Early in the COVID 19 pa...

Asymptomatic transmission is the spread of an infectious disease by individuals who show no symptoms. This phenomenon wa...

The COVID 19 lab leak hypothesis proposes that SARS CoV 2 accidentally escaped from a laboratory, specifically the Wuhan...

The Delta wave in India in April to May 2021 was one of the most devastating COVID outbreaks globally. Official figures ...

Sweden took a unique approach to COVID 19, avoiding mandatory lockdowns and relying on voluntary measures. State epidemi...

New Zealand pursued an elimination strategy for COVID 19 under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The country implemented a ...

Operation Warp Speed was the US government initiative to accelerate COVID vaccine development. Announced in May 2020, th...

COVAX, the COVID 19 Vaccines Global Access facility, was co led by WHO, Gavi, and CEPI to ensure equitable vaccine acces...

The global PPE shortage during the early COVID pandemic was one of the most damaging failures of pandemic preparedness. ...

COVID misinformation proliferated on social media, causing measurable harm. False claims included that COVID was no wors...

The WHO China joint study on COVID origins conducted in January and February 2021 was criticized for limited access and ...

In February 2021, Russia reported the first human infections with H5N8 avian influenza. Seven poultry farm workers in so...

Dengue fever has expanded dramatically in the 21st century. Approximately half the global population now lives in dengue...

Africa experienced fewer COVID cases and deaths than predicted by early models. The continent had reported roughly 12 mi...

Obesity was identified as a major risk factor for severe COVID 19 early in the pandemic. A CDC study found that approxim...

Measles has the highest R0 of any infectious disease at 12 to 18, meaning one case can infect up to 18 susceptible peopl...

Bivalent COVID boosters targeting the original strain and BA 4/BA 5 were authorized by the FDA in August 2022. The decis...

A new mpox outbreak caused by Clade I mpox virus emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023 to 2024. Clade I ha...

The Alpha variant B 1 1 7 was first identified in the United Kingdom in September 2020 and designated a Variant of Conce...

The COVID pandemic caused a global orphanhood crisis. A modelling study estimated that over 10.5 million children had lo...

Pandemic fatigue refers to the demotivation and exhaustion that populations experience during prolonged public health em...

COVID 19 exposed extreme vulnerabilities in global medical supply chains. China produced around half of the worlds surgi...

The COVID pandemic caused the largest global economic contraction since the Great Depression. Global GDP fell by roughly...

The COVID pandemic caused a significant increase in mental health problems globally. The WHO reported a 25 percent incre...

Long COVID research accelerated after millions of people reported persistent symptoms following acute infection. The NIH...

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Pakistan reported 1 case in 2021,...

Vaccine nationalism describes the tendency of countries to prioritize their own populations over global equitable access...

COVID and influenza are both respiratory viruses but differ significantly. SARS CoV 2 has a higher R0 than seasonal infl...

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO since 2017, led the global response to COVID 19. Tedros decla...