Counting down on exactly two years of Covid 19

A US Centers for Disease Control computer rendering of Covid-19

Two years ago today (December 8), the disease we now know as Covid-19 manifested itself in Wuhan.

We’ve all lived through what happened next. However hard it’s been, we’ve all been lucky enough to have lived through what happened next.

No matter how bad it’s been, we’re the lucky ones – thus far. More than 5 million people weren’t that lucky and died of Covid.

It’s been quite a ride. Think back to all that’s happened since December 8, 2019, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially listed the first Covid cases.

On February 23, 2020, Italy became the second country after China to impose a lockdown, a word (and a state of being) that would soon become familiar to everyone everywhere.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared a global pandemic.

On September 28, 2020, the world crossed the 1-million deaths mark.

In December 2020, the Pfizer vaccine offered hope of release from the death grip of the pandemic.

On November 1, 2021, the world reached the 5-million deaths point. And then, devastatingly, the Omicron variant is reported from South Africa on November 24, 2021. It’s now been detected in at least 40 countries, bringing massive uncertainty back into our lives.

It would be easy – but inaccurate – to say we’re back where we began. We aren’t.

However dark it feels at the moment, we’re much further along the path of eventual release from the Covid-19’s pandemic force.