--- title: How the China Coronavirus Spread: Full Timeline description: Here's how the coronavirus sprouted from Wuhan to become a global health crisis. canonical: https://time.com/5774366/how-coronavirus-spread-china/ author: Lon Tweeten article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-01-30T21:18:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:49:09.944Z article:section: Health og:title: How the China Coronavirus Spread: Full Timeline og:description: Here's how the coronavirus sprouted from Wuhan to become a global health crisis. og:url: https://time.com/5774366/how-coronavirus-spread-china/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9437add2dba4b3f0/698a0976457a52315cd6376a/3-First-fatality-travel.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1238 og:image:height: 696 og:image:alt: 3-First-fatality-travel og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How the China Coronavirus Spread: Full Timeline twitter:description: Here's how the coronavirus sprouted from Wuhan to become a global health crisis. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9437add2dba4b3f0/698a0976457a52315cd6376a/3-First-fatality-travel.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Timeline of How the Wuhan Coronavirus Has Spread—And How the World Has Reacted > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2eadfbdc-c44c-4576-8b89-322658c6d8be&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2eadfbdc-c44c-4576-8b89-322658c6d8be&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=2eadfbdc-c44c-4576-8b89-322658c6d8be&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Lon Tweeten](https://time.com/author/lon-tweeten/), [Emily Barone](https://time.com/author/emily-barone/) and [Elijah Wolfson](https://time.com/author/elijah-wolfson/) Jan 30, 2020 9:18 PM UTC  by [Lon Tweeten](https://time.com/author/lon-tweeten/), [Emily Barone](https://time.com/author/emily-barone/) and [Elijah Wolfson](https://time.com/author/elijah-wolfson/) Jan 30, 2020 9:18 PM UTC A new virus has emerged from central China, infecting thousands with severe respiratory illness and killing dozens. Health officials, doctors and researchers are scrambling to contain the outbreak. _Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking_ [_on this link_](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/coronavirus?source=article)_, and please send any tips, leads, and stories to_ [_virus@time.com_](mailto:virus@time.com)_._ As of publication, there are over 8,200 confirmed cases globally, and over 170 deaths attributed to the infection, the vast majority in China. Zoom into and hover over the maps below for details on those confirmed cases. In just under a month, the coronavirus has triggered a series of events, from entry port screenings to complete lockdown of affected cities. Below is a timeline showing how the virus sprouted from one city to become a health crisis that is being addressed on a global scale. ## Dec. 31, 2019: The animal-to-human jump Several people in Wuhan, the capital and largest city in Hubei province, report symptoms caused by a virus that is later tied to the [Huanan Seafood Market](https://time.com/5770904/wuhan-coronavirus-wild-animals/), which sells primarily fish and shellfish, but also wild game like beavers, porcupines and snakes. It’s still not clear in what animal 2019-nCoV originated.  --- ## Jan. 7, 2020: Cause identified Chinese health authorities announced they had isolated the pathogen. 2019-nCoV as it is called, belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), and spreads via airborne droplets.  --- ## Jan. 9, 2020: First fatality Officials announce the first 2019-nCoV-related death, recorded in Wuhan. To date, there have been 171 deaths, all in China. While that makes for a relatively low mortality rate compared to SARS, for example, it’s still alarming. A day later, the Chinese government [posts the genetic blueprint for 2019-nCoV](https://time.com/5774265/wuhan-china-virus-advances/) online. Meanwhile, as people travel around China, the virus spreads outside Hubei province.  --- ## Jan. 13-15, 2020: International exposure Health officials in Thailand and Japan announce that they have confirmed 2019-nCoV infections in travelers in their respective countries, the first outside of China. The two countries begin to [screen anyone](https://time.com/5769509/airlines-airports-china-coronavirus-screenings/) arriving from Wuhan.  --- ## Jan. 17, 2020: Passenger screening The U.S. begins airport health checks on all travelers from Wuhan and, later, all travelers from China. Four days later, on Jan. 21, officials confirmed that a man in Washington State, who had recently returned from a trip to the Wuhan area, was infected with the novel coronavirus.  --- ## Jan. 23, 2020: City quarantined Chinese officials [suspend travel in and out of Wuhan](https://time.com/5769509/airlines-airports-china-coronavirus-screenings/), a city of over 10 million. Similar travel bans follow in other cities in Hubei province, affecting a total of about 50 million people.  --- ## Jan. 24, 2020: Hospitals overwhelmed In response to the increasing numbers of sick patients in Wuhan, which are straining hospital staff and depleting medical supplies, the Chinese government [breaks ground](https://qz.com/1792705/coronavirus-the-engineering-behind-wuhans-rapidly-built-hospitals/) on the Huoshenshan Hospital, one of two such 1,000-plus bed facilities planned to be operational sometime in the first week of February. Meanwhile, public health experts scramble to figure out basic—and essential—facts about this never-before-seen virus, like whether or not someone who is infected but [not yet showing symptoms](https://time.com/5772134/coronavirus-mild-symptoms/) can transmit the disease to others.  --- ## Jan. 30: What comes next? As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms the first known [person-to-person transmission](https://time.com/5774640/coronavirus-united-states-spread/) of the virus in the country, and confirmed cases continue to rise rapidly, scientists all around the world are racing to [develop treatments and a vaccine](https://time.com/5774265/wuhan-china-virus-advances/).  ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5774366/how-coronavirus-spread-china/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5774366/how-coronavirus-spread-china/"},"headline":"A Timeline of How the Wuhan Coronavirus Has Spread—And How the World Has Reacted","datePublished":"2020-01-30T21:18:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:09.944Z","description":"Here's how the coronavirus sprouted from Wuhan to become a global health crisis.","url":"https://time.com/5774366/how-coronavirus-spread-china/","keywords":["COVID-19"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9437add2dba4b3f0/698a0976457a52315cd6376a/3-First-fatality-travel.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lon Tweeten","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/lon-tweeten/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Emily Barone","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/emily-barone/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Elijah Wolfson","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/elijah-wolfson/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9437add2dba4b3f0/698a0976457a52315cd6376a/3-First-fatality-travel.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"3-First-fatality-travel","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/covid-19/","name":"COVID-19"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5774366/how-coronavirus-spread-china/","name":"A Timeline of How the Wuhan Coronavirus Has Spread—And How the World Has Reacted"}}]}] ```