COVID-19 - The Basics And An Update

Question 1

How and when did it start (2 dates)

Answer 1

31 December 2019- WHO informed of cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan.

12th Jan 2020- WHO identified coronavirus as the cause of the outbreak. (12 days later identified cause)

Question 2

COVID-19 timeline

Answer 2

31st Dec-pneumonia cases
12th Jan-Covid identified
21st Jan-confirmed transmission through humans
24 Feb-first vaccine (Moderna)
11th Mar-WHO declared COVID a pandemic
8th Apr-China lifts lockdown on Wuhan
23rd Apr-Vaccines trialed.
3rd Sep-COVAX facility-help deliver vaccines to low & middle income countries
9th Nov-Pfizer & Biotech 90% effective
8th Dec-UK vaccine rollout
14th Dec- US follows
18th Dec- Alpha variant
24 Feb- First COVAX delivery in Ghana
4 Apr- Delta variant
26th Nov- Omicron variant
1st Feb- Denmark lifts restrictions first
24th Feb- Uk lifts
11th May- US ends pH emergency.

Question 3

Total cases confirmed 2022 and 2023

Answer 3

2022- 466.3M
2023- 762.7m

(Increase in cases)

Question 4

Total deaths 2022 and 2023

Answer 4

2022- 6.1M
2023- 6.8M

Asia the most
(Increase)

Question 5

Total vaccines administered

Answer 5

10.7BN 2022
13.4BN 2023

Africa the least!
(So an increase in cases, deaths and vaccines in 2023 compared to 2022)

Question 6

Now consider economic impacts of COVID: GDP, Employment, Debt

Economic impact (GDP) of COVID from 2020-2022 in continents

Answer 6

Asia & Pacific -2.3% to growing 6.5% in 2022
Africa -2.6% to 5.1%
North America -4.9% to 6%
EU -7.2 to 5.1%
South America -8.1% to 6.3%

2020 Majority of countries in recession.
2022 recovery.

Question 7

Eval: Has the economic recovery in 2022 been enough?

What is important about the results

Answer 7

EU and SA have not recovered (growth has still not reached pre-pandemic)

(Recession>Recovery)

Question 8

Economic impact (unemployment) 2020-2021

Mention specific countries

Answer 8

Most countries have gone back to pre-pandemic levels. Some even with lower levels of unemployment e,g France Italy and Spain.

However some unemployment is larger than pre-pandemic still e.g South Africa, China (lockdown)

Question 9

Economic impact (Government debt) since pandemic

Answer 9

Since pandemic most countries have been able to reduce their debt-to-gdp ratio. (could be by increasing GDP)

Question 10

So.. 3 economic indicators we look at

Answer 10

GDP
Unemployment level
Government debt

For all of them.. most have recovered

Question 11

Examples of good news relating to pandemics (3)

Answer 11

America end national emergency

Japan end border measures

Google end jab mandates for entering buildings

Question 12

Examples of bad news (3) that show COVID-19 is not fully over.

Answer 12

India cases rise

Singapore cases rise with XBB variant.

Foreign reserves of most emerging economies depleted as a result of covid

Question 13

Which continent has the least vaccinations administered?

Answer 13

Africa underperforms in first jab, and boosters comparative to rest of world.

Question 14

Where are the most deaths

Answer 14

Asia

Question 15

Vaccine issues example

2. How many vaccines have been wasted in the UK?

Answer 15

Vaccine hoarding could have costed more than a million lives. (Shared inequitably, especially low-middle income nations e.g Africa). e.g canada 600% more than population, due to trying to secure multiple advanced payment agreements.

7m vaccines wasted JUST in UK.