Timeline of key events in biotechnology

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2020-01-22T00:00:00+00002020-01-23T00:00:00+0000Beijing cancelled all events for celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year starting on January 25th.2020-01-23T00:00:00+00002020-01-23T00:00:00+0000This included the shut down of Shanghai Disneyland and other entertainment venues. Beijing also closed down a section of the Great Wall and other historical landmarks. 2020-01-24T00:00:00+00002020-01-25T00:00:00+00002020-01-26T00:00:00+00002020-01-26T00:00:00+0000By now the death toll from the virus had risen to 170 with the number of cases reported to be 7,711. The epidemic had spread to all 31 Chinese provinces2020-01-30T00:00:00+0000China reported 9,809 confirmed cases of infection. 2020-01-31T00:00:00+00002020-02-01T00:00:00+0000The person who died was a Chinese man from Wuhan. By this stage China reported 14,380 cases of infection and and the total death toll to be 304.2020-02-02T00:00:00+00002020-02-04T00:00:00+0000The Belgian case was a person who had been repatriated from Wuhan. China reported 20,438 infected cases and the total number of deaths to have risen to 426. 2020-02-04T00:00:00+0000US laid on more flights to evacuate US citizens from Wuhan. 2020-02-05T00:00:00+00002020-02-06T00:00:00+0000Born in Beizhen, China, Wenliang worked at Wuhan Central Hospital from 2014. He had contracted Covid-19 from a patient. His death highlighted the large toll Covid-19 on healthcare workers. 2020-02-07T00:00:00+00002020-02-11T00:00:00+0000A person with Leber’s congenital amaurosis 10 (LCA10), a genetic condition that is a leading cause of blindness in childhood, was given the treatment. It involved administering a CRISPR–Cas9 gene therapy directly into the patient's eye, near photoreceptor cells. The treatment aims to delete a mutation in the gene CEP290 that is responsible for LCA10. The procedure was performed at Oregon Health and Science University by Mark Pennesi. 2020-03-04T00:00:00+00002020-03-11T00:00:00+0000
Date Event People Places Sciences
22 Jan 2020Many European airports introduced measures to check passengers arriving from Wuhan  Covid-19
23 Jan 2020Three cities in Hubei province (Wuhan, Xiantao and Chibi) placed under quarantine and all air and rail departures from the cities suspended  Covid-19
23 Jan 2020First Covid-19 death reported outside Hubei province - in Beijing  Covid-19
23 Jan 2020WHO announced Covid-19 outbreak was not yet an international public health emergency and outside China there was no evidence the virus spread between humans   Covid-19
24 Jan 2020Number of Chinese cities under lock down in Hubei province rose to 13, affecting 41 million people  Covid-19
25 Jan 2020Hong Kong declared a public health emergency, cancelled Lunar New Year celebrations and restricted links to mainland China  Covid-19
26 Jan 2020Travel restrictions were imposed on five more Chinese cities in Hubei province, bringing the total number affected to 56 million  Covid-19
26 Jan 2020New Covid-19 cases confirmed in the US, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and South Korea  Covid-19
30 Jan 2020WHO declared Covid-19 to be a global emergency  Covid-19
31 Jan 2020First Covid-19 cases reported in Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom  Covid-19
1 Feb 2020New Covid-10 cases confirmed in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the US   Covid-19
2 Feb 2020First Covid-19 death reported outside China - in the Philippines  Covid-19
4 Feb 2020Hong Kong reported its first Covid-19 death, bringing the global death toll to 427  Covid-19
4 Feb 2020Belgium reported its first confirmed Covid-19 case  Covid-19
5 Feb 2020WHO announced there was 'no known effective' treatment for Covid-19  Covid-19
6 Feb 2020Malaysia reported the country's first known human-to-human transmission of Covid-19 and number of people infected in Europe reached 30  Covid-19
7 Feb 2020Li Wenliang, the first Chinese doctor to sound the alarm over Covid-19 died from the disease aged 33 years oldLi WenliangWuhan Central Hospital Covid-19
11 Feb 2020WHO officially named the new coronavirus disease Covid-19   Covid-19
4 Mar 2020First patient received gene editing therapy with CRISPR directly administered into the bodyPennesiOregon Health and Science UniversityCrispr-Cas9, Gene editing, Opthalmology, Gene therapy
11 Mar 2020WHO declared Covid-19 to be a pandemic  Covid-19

22 Jan 2020

Many European airports introduced measures to check passengers arriving from Wuhan

23 Jan 2020

Three cities in Hubei province (Wuhan, Xiantao and Chibi) placed under quarantine and all air and rail departures from the cities suspended

23 Jan 2020

First Covid-19 death reported outside Hubei province - in Beijing

23 Jan 2020

WHO announced Covid-19 outbreak was not yet an international public health emergency and outside China there was no evidence the virus spread between humans

24 Jan 2020

Number of Chinese cities under lock down in Hubei province rose to 13, affecting 41 million people

25 Jan 2020

Hong Kong declared a public health emergency, cancelled Lunar New Year celebrations and restricted links to mainland China

26 Jan 2020

Travel restrictions were imposed on five more Chinese cities in Hubei province, bringing the total number affected to 56 million

26 Jan 2020

New Covid-19 cases confirmed in the US, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and South Korea

30 Jan 2020

WHO declared Covid-19 to be a global emergency

31 Jan 2020

First Covid-19 cases reported in Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom

1 Feb 2020

New Covid-10 cases confirmed in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the US

2 Feb 2020

First Covid-19 death reported outside China - in the Philippines

4 Feb 2020

Hong Kong reported its first Covid-19 death, bringing the global death toll to 427

4 Feb 2020

Belgium reported its first confirmed Covid-19 case

5 Feb 2020

WHO announced there was 'no known effective' treatment for Covid-19

6 Feb 2020

Malaysia reported the country's first known human-to-human transmission of Covid-19 and number of people infected in Europe reached 30

7 Feb 2020

Li Wenliang, the first Chinese doctor to sound the alarm over Covid-19 died from the disease aged 33 years old

11 Feb 2020

WHO officially named the new coronavirus disease Covid-19

4 Mar 2020

First patient received gene editing therapy with CRISPR directly administered into the body

11 Mar 2020

WHO declared Covid-19 to be a pandemic

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