The COVID-19 pandemic started with the first known cases of an atypical pneumonia-like illness in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Chinese authorities reported cases of pneumonia of unknown cause on December 31, 2019. The virus responsible, later named SARS-CoV-2, was identified in late 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, and officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. The virus spread globally from there, causing widespread illness and disruption.
