The World Health Organization (WHO) was first alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhuan, a city in the Chinese province of Hubei, on December 31, 2019. According to the first WHO situation report on the coronavirus disease, the cases of pneumonia had no known cause, and totaled 44 by January 3.4﻿
China’s National Health Commission originally traced exposure to a seafood market in Wuhan, but later reports indicate that the market was unlikely to be the only source of the virus.5﻿ By January 7, the exact strain—a new type of coronavirus—was identified, and initially named 2019-nCoV.
In February, the World Health Organization officially began calling the disease COVID-19.
First Deaths
A 61-year-old Chinese man was the first known person to die from coronavirus-related illness; he was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.6﻿ Media began reporting his death on January 10, adding he was a regular customer at the Wuhan seafood market. By January 31, there were 213 deaths and 9,720 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China.7﻿
First Spread Outside of China
•	Thailand reported its first case of COVID-19 on January 13. The infected individual had traveled there from Wuhan.4﻿  
•	Japan reported its first case on January 15, also in a person who had visited Wuhan.4