Covid-19

COVID-19 is still considered an ongoing pandemic. We have seen 6.3 millions global deaths, while the US alone has reached over 1 million COVID-19 related deaths.

The COVID-19 Timeline:

• December 12th, 2019 - A cluster of residents of Wuhan, China begin exhibiting symptoms that would later be diagnosed as COVID-19
• January 7th, 2020 - the Chinese authorities finally identify and isolate the new coronavirus as the causative agent of the outbreak, labeled 2019-nCoV (later officially named COVID-19)
• January 7th, 2020 - The CDC established a Center-Led Incident Management Structure to monitor the progress and response.
• January 13th, 2020 - Thailand reports it's first case of imported COVID-19 (first place to see it outside of Wuhan)
• January 15th, 2020 - Japan reports it's first case of imported COVID-19
• January 17th, 2020 - Screening of anyone coming into the US from China are checked for COVID-19.
• January 20th, 2020 - A month after the 1st case was reported, the US sees its first confirmed case in Washington State.
• January 21st, 2020 - CDC activated its Emergency Response System
• January 22nd, 2020 - The WHO confirms human-to-human spread
• January 27th, 2020 - The US FDA announces interagency cooperation to develop a specific test and vaccine
• January 29th, 2020 - The White House Coronavirus Task Force (WHCTF) is established
• January 31st, 2020 - The US Secretary of Health & Human Services and the WHO declared the Coronavirus a Public Health Emergency and the WHCTF implement travel policies to take effect on February 2nd, 2020.
• February 4th, 2020 - The FDA approved EUA PACK for CDC diagnostic test kits
• February 8th, 2020 - One of the 1st test kits arrives in East Manhattan
• February 11th, 2020 - The WHO announced the official name of the disease: COVID-19
• February 23rd, 2020 - Italy becomes COVID-19 Hotspot, enacting Decree-Law No. 6, effectively locking down the country to contain the spread.
• March 11th, 2020 - The WHO declares COVID-19 a Pandemic
• March 13th, 2020 - President Trump declares a nationwide emergency
• March 14th, 2020 - CDC issues a 'No Sail Order' for all cruise ships
• March 15th, 2020 - the US begins to shut down to prevent the spread.
• March 16th, 2020 - CDC launches Clara bot, a COVID-19 symptom checker, on it's website.
• March 17th, 2020 - First human trial of Vaccine to protect against pandemic COVID-19 begins in the US
• March 26th, 2020 - US Senate passes CARES act
• March 28th, 2020 - The White House extends social distancing measures until the end of April 2020
• April 3rd, 2020 - At a WH press briefing, CDC announces new mask wearing guidelines, recommending the use of masks when outside the home
• April 8th, 2020 - US Health & Human Services announces first contract for ventilator production goes to General Motors under the Defense Production Act
• April 10th, 2020 - The US Surpasses Italy as the global leader for reported deaths due to COVID-19 (23,036 deaths)
• April 13th, 2020 - Most US states report widespread cases of COVID-19
• April 13th, 2020 - President Trump announces the US will cease funding to the WHO
• April 24th, 2020 - Georgia, Alaska, and Oklahoma begin to partially reopen their states
• April 26th, 2020 - Children in the UK begin presenting with the first cases of what would later be known as Multisystem inflammatory syndrome that affects children with COVID-19
• April 30th, 2020 - President Trump launched Operation Warp Speed, an initiative to produce a vaccine as quick as possible, with the CDC
• May 1st, 2020 - US FDA issues EUA for remdesivir for treatment of confirmed COVID-19 in Adults and Children hospitalized with severe symptoms
• May 2nd, 2020 - the WHO renews its Global Health Crisis emergency declaration
• May 9th, 2020 - The US unemployment rates increases to 14.7%, the worst rate since the Great Depression, 20.5 million Americans our of work
• May 28th, 2020 - the US COVID-19 death toll surpasses 100,000
• July 23rd, 2020 - CDC releases a guide for safe school reopening processes
• September 22, 2020 - US COVID-19 death toll surpasses 200,000
• October 2nd, 2020 - President Trump tests positive for Covid
• October 5th, 2020 - The White House outbreak continues as several staff members test positive for the virus
• October 7th, 2020 - New Zealand declares itself virus free
• November 1st, 2020 - CDC announces the end of the 'No Sail Order' for cruise ships
• November 13th, 2020 - Increased outbreaks are reported across the country due to large Halloween gatherings
• December 3rd, 2020 - The Advise Committee on Immunization Practices recommends health care professionals should be first to get COVID-19 vaccines
• December 11th, 2020 - The FDA issues EUA for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines
• December 14th, 2020 - A NY nurse, Sandra, becomes first American outside of a clinical study to receive the Vaccine
• December 14th, 2020 - US Covid death toll surpasses 300,000
• December 18th, 2020 - The FDA issues EUA for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines
• December 21st, 2020 - US Congress passes second COVID Relief Act
• December 24th, 2020 - An estimated 1 million Americans are vaccinated against COVID-19
• December 30th, 2020 - First case of UK Variant reported in the US in Colorado
• December 31st, 2020 - One year anniversary of 1st case reported to WHO
• January 7th, 2021 - One year anniversary of CDC COVID-19 pandemic response
• January 14th, 2021 - US COVID-19 death toll surpasses 400,000
• January 25th, 2021 - First US Case of Brazil variant reported in Minnesota
• January 26th, 2021 - Global COVID-19 cases surpass 100 million
• January 28th, 2021 - First US Case of South African variant reported in South Carolina
• February 1st, 2021 - First at home tests to be put into distribution in the US
• February 21st, 2021 - US Covid death toll surpasses 500,000
• February 27th, 2021 - FDA approves UAT for Johnson and Johnson one shot vaccine
• March 8th, 2021 - CDC announces fully vaccinates people can gather indoors without masks
• March 11th, 2021 - President Biden announces a federal vaccine website where users can find vaccines near them
• March 13th, 2021 - US surpasses 100 million administered vaccines
• March 14th, 2021 - Several countries, including Ireland, Iceland, Denmark, and Norway suspend dispensing AstaZeneca COVID vaccine over concerns of blood clotting.
• March 19th, 2021 - CDC announces kids in school can socially distance from 3 feet instead of 6 feet
• April 2nd, 2021 - CDC announces fully vaccinated individuals can travel safely domestically in the U.S. without a COVID test first.
• April 13th, 2021 - CDC recommends pausing the use of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine because of blood clot complications.
• April 21st, 2021 - U.S. surpasses 200 million vaccinations administered.
• April 23rd, 2021 - CDC recommends continued use of Johnson and Johnson vaccine for people 18 and older.
• June 1st, 2021 - The Delta variant, first identified in India in late 2020, becomes the dominant variant in the U.S. The variant kicks off a third wave of infections during the summer of 2021.
• July 27th, 2021 - After a substantial upswing in cases due to the Delta variant, CDC releases updated guidance for everyone in areas with substantial or high transmission to wear a mask while indoors.
• August 6th, 2021 - CDC study shows that among people previously infected with COVID-19, reinfection was less than half as likely among those who were vaccinated after their first infection.
• August 18th, 2021 - CDC announces a new center, the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, to improve the U.S. government’s ability to forecast and model emerging health threats, such as pandemics.
• August 30th, 2021 - ACIP recommends Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for people ages 16 years and older.
• October 21st, 2021 - CDC endorses ACIP recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots for people who are 65 years and older, and people 18 years and older who live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, and who live or work in high risk settings.
• November 2nd, 2021 - CDC endorses ACIP recommendation that children ages 5 to 11 years be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine.
• November 26th, 2021 - WHO classifies a new variant, Omicron, as a variant of concern after it was first reported by scientists in South Africa.
• November 29th, 2021 - CDC recommends that everyone over 18 years old who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine receive a COVID-19 booster shot 6 months after they are fully vaccinated.
• December 1, 2021 - The first case of the Omicron variant in the U.S. is detected by the California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health.
• December 2, 2021 - A second case of the Omicron variant in the U.S. is detected by the Minnesota and the New York City Departments of Health.
• December 3, 2021 - FDA revises the emergency use authorization (EUA) for Eli Lilly’s two monoclonal antibodies, Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab, to allow the drugs to be used together for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in all pediatric patients, including newborns, who have a positive COVID-19 test and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.
• December 6, 2021 - CDC introduces a new one-day testing policy requiring international travelers to show a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test taken 24 hours before they board their flights to the U.S.
• December 8, 2021 - FDA issues an EUA for AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a treatment of two monoclonal antibodies for the pre-exposure prevention of COVID-19 in adults and children ages 12 years and older who weigh at least 88 pounds and have moderate to severely compromised immune function or a history of severe adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.
• December 9, 2021 - CDC and FDA expand COVID-19 booster recommendations to include everyone ages 16 years and older.
• December 15, 2021 - The recorded death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 800,000 in the U.S. One in every 100 people ages 65 years and older in the U.S. has died.
• December 16, 2021 - ACIP updates its recommendations to express a clinical preference for individuals to receive, when possible, an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, over Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.
• December 17, 2021 - CDC releases two reports in MMWR highlighting the use of test-to-stay practices to help keep students in school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• December 20, 2021 - CDC releases data estimating that the Omicron variant is around 1.6 times more transmissible than the Delta variant.
• December 22, 2021 - FDA authorizes Pfizer’s anti-viral pill Paxlovid to treat COVID-19 under an EUA for adults and children ages 12 years and older who weigh at least 88 pounds who test positive and are at high risk for progression to severe disease. It is the first treatment for COVID-19 that is taken orally and can be used at home.
• December 23, 2021 - FDA authorizes Merck’s anti-viral pill Molnupiravir to treat COVID-19 under an EUA for all adults and children ages 18 years and older who test positive and are at high risk for progression to severe disease. It is the second treatment for COVID-19 that is taken orally and can be used at home but, despite supply concerns, Paxlovid remains the preferred oral anti-viral treatment for COVID-19. CDC updates its recommendations for the isolation and quarantine periods for healthcare workers, decreasing their isolation time after infection with COVID-19. Asymptomatic healthcare workers can now return to work after 7 days with a negative test and healthcare workers who have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines doses, including a booster, do not need to quarantine after a high-risk exposure.
• December 27, 2021 - CDC shortens the recommended isolation period for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask around others if they are asymptomatic or if their symptoms are resolving (resolving is defined as without a fever for 24 hours). CDC updates the recommended quarantine period for people exposed to someone with COVID-19 to wear a mask around others for 10 days and get tested on day 5 if you have been boosted or vaccinated within the last 6 months. If the exposed individual is unvaccinated, CDC now recommends a quarantine period of 5 days, followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.
• January 1, 2022 - As Delta and Omicron spread, New York state records its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day since the pandemic began – with 114,082 new confirmed cases.
• January 3, 2022 - The U.S. reports nearly 1 million new COVID-19 infections– the highest daily total of any country in the world. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has risen nearly 50% in just one week. FDA amends the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to allow a single booster dose for all individuals ages 12–15 years; shortens the time-period between the completion of primary vaccination series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose to at least five months; and allows for a third primary series dose for certain immunocompromised children ages 5–11 years.
• January 4, 2022 - ACIP shortens the recommended time between the primary vaccination series and a booster shot for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from 6 months to 5 months. ACIP recommends that moderately or severely immunocompromised children ages 5–11 years receive an additional primary dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 28 days after their second shot.
• January 5, 2022 - ACIP recommends that all adolescents ages 12–17 years receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.
• January 7, 2022 - FDA amends the EUA for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to shorten the time between the primary series of the vaccine and a booster dose from at least 5 months to 6 months for individuals ages 18 years and older. The same day, CDC endorses the FDA’s recommendation.
• January 11, 2022 - The Biden Administration purchases 600,000 doses of GSK and Vir Biotechnology’s antibody treatment Sotrovimab, after the drug was found to be effective against both the Delta and Omicron variants.
• January 14, 2022 - CDC updates guidelines on masks to emphasize fit, comfort, and consistent wear. In one month, the daily average of new COVID-19 infections reported in the U.S. spikes from 119,215 to 805,062.
• January 17, 2022 - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sues an Arkansas jail on behalf of detainees who reported COVID-19 like symptoms and say they were unknowingly given ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, two drugs that CDC does not recommend for the treatment of COVID-19.
• January 19, 2022 - To help meet the demand for testing during the Omicron surge, the Biden Administration purchases 1 billion COVID-19 tests and creates an online portal where people can order free at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
• January 20, 2022 - CDC releases data in MMWR showing that during the Delta surge, both COVID-19 vaccination and surviving a prior infection provided protection against infection and hospitalization from COVID-19. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology finds that COVID-19 vaccination has no impact on male or female fertility, but that a COVID-19 infection may be associated with a short-term decline in male fertility.
• January 24, 2022 - FDA further revises the EUA for Eli Lilly’s two monoclonal antibodies, Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab, to limit their use after the treatment is shown to be ineffective against the Omicron variant. FDA revises the EUA for Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody, Regen-cov, to limit its use after the treatment is shown to be ineffective against the Omicron variant. The Omicron variant now accounts for approximately 99% of all current COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
• January 31, 2022 - FDA fully approves the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for all people ages 18 years and older. Full FDA approval further reinforces that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to meet the agency’s high standards for safety, effectiveness, and consistent quality in manufacturing. To date, COVID-19 vaccines are estimated to have saved at least a quarter of a million lives and prevented more than 1 million hospitalizations.
• February 4, 2022 - ACIP recommends the use of Moderna’s vaccine for all people ages 18 years and older. The death rate from COVID-19 climbs 30% in two weeks amid an Omicron surge, with more than 2,600 people dying from COVID-19 each day. The number of recorded deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19 surpasses 900,000.
• February 7, 2022 - A study is published in Nature showing that even a mild case of COVID-19 appears to increase the risk of heart problems for one year after infection. The study’s authors suggest that COVID-19 might be as much of a risk factor for heart disease as high blood pressure, diabetes, or smoking.
• February 11, 2022 - CDC releases data showing that COVID-19 vaccine boosters remain safe and were highly effective against severe disease during the Omicron and Delta variant surges for everyone ages 5 years and older. CDC releases data in MMWR showing that the Omicron variant rose from 1% of all infections in the U.S. to 99% of all infections in just 6 weeks (compared to 18 weeks for Delta).
• February 15, 2022 - CDC releases data in MMWR showing that maternal COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy with an mRNA vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, reduces the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization in infants (babies under 6 months) by around 60%.
• February 18, 2022 - CDC releases two reports in MMWR on pediatric emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommends increased awareness of the health concerns among children and adolescents that could arise due to delayed medical care and heightened emotional distress, especially for adolescent girls (ages 12–17 years). The Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirms that a child in Wisconsin has died from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 infection in children.
• March 2, 2022 - WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk.
• March 3, 2022 - CDC updates the “COVID-19 Community Level,” showing that more than 90% of the U.S. population is in a location with either low or medium COVID-19 community transmission level. The U.S. has now donated more than 480 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 110 countries.
• March 4, 2022 - While access to COVID-19 vaccines has expanded, the gap in COVID-19 vaccination rates between urban and rural areas in the U.S. has more than doubled since April 2021.
• March 5, 2022 - More than 10 billion people have received a COVID-19 vaccine, with WHO reporting that 10,704,043,684 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide. About 56% of the world is now fully vaccinated, but many regions still lack access, especially on the African continent where less than 20% of the total population is currently vaccinated.
• March 8, 2022 - Hawaii becomes the last state to announce an end to its universal indoor mask mandate, scheduled for March 26, 2022.
• March 10, 2022 - On CDC’s recommendation, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) extends the mask requirement for all public transportation and transportation hubs through April 18, 2022. The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 surpasses 6 million worldwide, with WHO reporting 6,019,085 confirmed deaths. The true number is likely much higher. The number of recorded COVID-19 cases surpasses 450 million worldwide, with WHO reporting 450,229,635 confirmed infections. The true number is likely much higher.
• March 11, 2022 - Two-year anniversary of WHO declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. CDC updates the “COVID-19 Community Level,” showing that more than 98% of the U.S. population is in a location with either a low or medium COVID-19 community transmission levels. In the U.S., 92% of all children ages 5–11 years now live within 5 miles of a vaccine provider. CDC releases data in MMWR showing that school districts in Arkansas with universal mask requirements had a 23% lower incidence of COVID-19 among staff and students compared to districts without mask requirements during August – October 2021.
• March 12, 2022 - CDC estimates that 23% of all current COVID-19 infections in the U.S. are caused by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, with initial data suggesting that BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than the Omicron BA.1 variant.
• March 14, 2022 - Several regions in China face new lockdowns under the “COVID Zero” policy when cases of the Omicron variant are found. Tens of millions of people are required to stay inside their homes, key technology manufacturers like Foxconn and Unimicron close factories, and the production and distribution of goods is disrupted throughout the world.
• March 15, 2022 - CDC releases data in MMWR showing that the COVID-19 hospitalization rate among infants and children ages 4 years and younger was 5 times higher during the peak of the Omicron variant surge when compared to the Delta variant– 63% of those children hospitalized had no underlying medical conditions. After officially recording more than 43 million COVID-19 cases, India begins vaccinating adolescents ages 12–14 years with the COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax and schools reopen after two years of closures. CDC outlines its goals for the third year of a global COVID-19 response: to increase vaccination levels around the world, reduce spread of COVID-19 and its impact, expand scientific knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and strengthen public health leadership while improving long-term health security worldwide.
• March 16, 2022 - At the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting the U.S., the European Union, India, and South Africa forge a preliminary agreement on a COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property (IP) waiver, hoping to expand access to vaccines around the world.
• March 18, 2022 - CDC releases data in two MMWRs showing that adults who received 3 doses of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine were 94% less likely to be put on a ventilator or die from COVID-19 during the Omicron surge compared to non-vaccinated adults in the U.S. and that Black adults are currently 4 times more likely to be hospitalized than White adults.
• March 24, 2022 - Data from the Census Bureau shows that deaths in the U.S. between 2019 – 2020 increased by approximately 19% after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. That is the largest spike in mortality in the U.S. in 100 years.
• March 26, 2022 - CDC estimates that about 55% of all current COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are caused by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant.
• March 29, 2022 - CDC and FDA both recommend a second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster for immunocompromised individuals and all adults ages 50 and older 4 months after their last booster dose. CDC recommends that all adults who received a primary vaccine series and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine receive a second booster dose with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. CDC recommends that all adults who received a primary vaccine series and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine receive a second booster dose with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
• March 30, 2022 - The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
• March 31, 2022 - CDC releases data from the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) showing that from January 2021 – June 2021 among high-school aged adolescents: 44% report feeling persistently sad or hopeless; 55% report emotional abuse in the home; 11% report physical abuse in the home; and 29% report job loss by an adult in the home. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and female youth reported the poorest overall mental health, the most emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver, and attempted suicide more their peers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• April 1, 2022 - CDC announces the termination of Title 42, an Order that suspended the right to introduce migrants into the U.S. due to the public health risk of COVID-19, effective May 23, 2022.
• April 8, 2022 - CDC releases data in MMWR showing that the risk for cardiac complications in all age groups was significantly higher after COVID-19 infection when compared to after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.
• April 13, 2022 - The Omicron subvariant BA.2 now makes up more than 85% of all new COVID-19 infections in the U.S.
• April 18, 2022 - CDC’s mask mandate for indoor public transportation is struck down by a judge in Florida.
• April 19, 2022 - CDC releases data in MMWR showing that of the children ages 5–11 years who were hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first few months of the Omicron surge, 3 in 10 had no underlying medical conditions, 9 in 10 were unvaccinated, and 2 in 10 required ICU care.
• April 21, 2022 - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extends the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all non-citizens entering the U.S.– in addition to the requirement that all travelers show a negative antigen test taken within one day of departure.
• April 22, 2022 - For the second year in a row, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S.– after heart disease and cancer.
• April 26, 2022 - The Biden Administration purchases 20 million doses of Pfizer’s oral anti-viral drug Paxlovid as part of the Test-to-Treat initiative– 2,200 locations where Americans can receive free COVID-19 testing and, if needed, treatment. These doses will also be used to double the number of pharmacies with Paxlovid stocked from 20,000 to 40,000.
• April 27, 2022 - It is estimated that during 2000–2018, measles vaccines prevented 23.2 million deaths, but delays in routine vaccinations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and crises in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Afghanistan have led to a nearly 80% worldwide rise in measles cases in 2022.
• April 29, 2022 - Data from CDC’s National Commercial Laboratory Seroprevalence Study estimates that, as of February 2022, approximately 75% of children and adolescents showed infection-induced antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (evidence of a previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 – also called seroprevalence) and that, since December 2021, approximately one third have become newly seropositive.
• April 30, 2022 - The current proportion of the U.S. population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 broken down by age group is: 5–11, 28%; 12–17, 59%; 18–49, 69%; 50–64, 80%; and ≥65 years, 90%.
• May 3, 2022 - CDC recommends that everyone continue to wear a mask while in indoor transportation hubs to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – but this is no longer legally enforceable.
• May 5, 2022 - WHO estimates that there have been approximately 15 million direct or indirect deaths (also called “excess mortality”) globally from January 2020 – December 2021 that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. South-East Asia, Europe, and the Americas accounted for 84% of the excess deaths.
• May 10, 2022 - During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a 35% increase in the firearm homicide rate, resulting in the highest firearm homicide rate in more than 25 years. Firearm homicide rates are the highest among males, adolescents, young adults, and non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native people. Rates of firearm suicide remained high, increasing most notably among American Indian and Alaska Native males ages 10–44, and are highest in rural areas.
• May 12, 2022 - The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. reaches 1 million (1,000,000).Initial research suggests that between 4% and 36% of all people infected with COVID-19 will experience symptoms lasting at least six-months, potentially leading to between 5 and 25 million people in the U.S. experiencing a long-term disability (approximately 200 million people worldwide). Experts and disability advocates worry that the long-term consequences of this virus are underappreciated.
• May 16, 2022 - Researchers from Brown University School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, estimate that approximately 50% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. were vaccine-preventable deaths.
• May 19, 2022 - ACIP recommends Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine boosters for everyone ages 5–11 years to be given at least 5 months after their primary vaccination series. ACIP also recommends everyone ages 12 years and older who is immunocompromised and those ages 50 years and older should receive a second booster dose at least 4 months after their first to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
• May 25, 2022 - CDC releases data in MMWR showing that COVID-19 survivors are twice as likely to develop a pulmonary embolism or respiratory condition and that approximately 1 in 5 adults now have at least one health condition that may be attributable to a previous COVID-19 infection.
• May 26, 2022 - CDC updates the “COVID-19 Community Level,” showing that 71.52% of the U.S. population is in a location with low COVID-19 community transmission levels; 20.73% have medium levels and 7.76% have high COVID-19 community levels.
• May 27, 2022 - North Korea reports a total of 3.27 million “fever patients.”
• May 28, 2022 - The weekly average of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S. is now six times higher than it was in 2021. Currently, there are 119,725 new cases reported each week– a number that is “grossly underreported” according to experts– compared to May 28, 2021, when there were 17,887.
• May 31, 2022 - The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) asks a federal appeals court to overturn the order that declared CDC’s mandate requiring individuals to wear masks on public transportation unlawful. Authorities in Shanghai announce that they are partially reopening China’s largest city after two months of a COVID-19 lockdown that has kept millions of people strictly in their homes and employed both mass testing and isolation of anyone infected with COVID-19 in centralized facilities.
• June 1, 2022 - The U.S. has recorded a total of 84,145,569 COVID-19 infections and 1,003,571 (more than 1 million) deaths from COVID-19.
• June 2, 2022 - A Kaiser Foundation study tested three widespread false statements about COVID-19 vaccines: “pregnant women should not get the COVID-19 vaccine; it is unsafe for women who are breastfeeding to get a COVID-19 vaccine; and the COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to cause infertility.” Vaccine misinformation is so pervasive that about six in ten U.S. adults and seven in ten women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant either believed or were unsure about at least one of these false statements.
• June 10, 2022 - The global market for N95 masks is predicted to reach $11.8 billion by 2026.
• June 18, 2022 - ACIP recommends Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 6 months – 5 years, expanding vaccine eligibility to over 20 million additional children in the U.S. All people ages 6 months and older are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S.
• June 24, 2022 - ACIP recommends Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ages 6–17 years.
• June 30, 2022 - As COVID-19 case numbers rise across the U.S. due to the highly transmissible omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5., FDA calls for Omicron-specific updates to COVID-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in fall 2022.
• July 6, 2022 - CDC data shows that Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are now dominant in the U.S., making up over 70% of new COVID-19 infections.
• July 8, 2022 - New York Department of Health recommends that all people should wear N95, KN95, or KF94 masks in all public indoor settings and when in crowded outdoor areas due to high community transmission of COVID-19. FDA fully approves Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ages 12–15 years. Full FDA approval further reinforces that Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to meet the agency’s high standards for safety, effectiveness, and consistent quality in manufacturing.
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