The first case of Coronavirus disease was reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organization on 11th February named the disease COVID-19 and the virus, causing it as SARS-CoV-2. As we now know, the virus turned out to be highly infectious. It rapidly spread to other countries and continents, and, precisely a month after naming the disease and its causative agent, WHO declared COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 as a pandemic.

On 11th March, when WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, there were 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people had lost their lives.  Seven months later, as on 11th October 2020, globally, there were 37,109,851 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,070,355 deaths with about 3,50,000 new cases getting added each day.

On 30th January 2020, India reported its first case of COVID-19, and as on 11th October 2020, India has the second-highest number of 7,053,806 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 108,334 deaths (WHO COVID-19 Dashboard).

India was one of the earliest countries to impose nationwide lockdown to arrest the spread of the virus. A series of measures and all-round collective responses by the various agencies prevented a rapid spread in the early phase. Among the many organizations in India, scientific institutions under the umbrella organizations such as CSIR, DBT, DST, DRDO, ICMR, and many others including academic institutions such as the IITs, reflexively engaged in programmes to combat the virus. Within a few weeks, the all-round efforts ensured that India made rapid progress in testing, diagnostics, hospital assistive devices, drugs, PPEs, disease surveillance and so on.

For up-to-date guidance specific to Covid-19, please use the WHO (https://www.who.int/) and/or MoHFW (https://www.mohfw.gov.in/) website.