The World Health Organization has been at the heart of the battle against the new coronavirus since the first reported outbreak in China. First cases in Wuhan 31 December 2019 - China reported to the WHO a "cluster" of pneumonia cases "of unknown cause" in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.
Of a total of 44 cases, 11 patients were "severely ill", while the others were stable. 1 January 2020 - The WHO activated a crisis group, putting the body "on an emergency footing for dealing with the outbreak". 4 January - The WHO on social media reported a cluster of pneumonia cases "with no deaths", in Wuhan.
A day later, it published its first "Disease Outbreak News" destined for scientists and public health specialists on the new