The first case was discovered on December 1 last year.
The first case was discovered on December 1 last year.
The first known case of the deadly coronavirus emerged just two months ago. Since then more than 300 people have died from the virus, the number of confirmed cases has jumped to more than 14,000and it has spread to numerous other countries.
The Chinese city of Wuhan has been named the epicentre of the outbreak and there has been a lockdown on travel in and out of the area.
The first patient to be diagnosed with the new coronavirus started showing symptoms of the illness at the very beginning of December, according to a study published in the Lancet.
By December 8 several cases of the mystery illness had emerged and had been documented by health authorities in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China.
0302VirusMap
At this point most of the people showing symptoms have lived or worked around the local Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where vendors have been found to be illegally trading in live wild and exotic animals.
Wildlife sold at the Huanan "wet" market for human consumption included wolf cubs, civet cats, bats, dogs, pigs, snakes, chickens, donkeys, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs and deer.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION ALERTED, December 31
Chinese authorities alert the World Health Organisation (WHO) to multiple cases of pneumonia in the city, weeks after the first cases came to light.
Patients are quarantined and work begins on identifying the origin of the pneumonia.
SEAFOOD MARKET SHUT DOWN, January 1, 2020
The Huanan seafood market, where the virus is thought to have originated, is shut down and placed under investigation.
As experts continue to work on identifying the virus the number of confirmed cases jumps to 40.
On January 5 Chinese authorities officially rule out the return of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) virus, which also originated in China and killed more than 770 people worldwide in 2002 and 2003.
Two days later officials announce the outbreak involves a new virus, which they name 2019-nCoV.
The novel virus is reported to be from the coronavirus family, which Sars and the common cold are both a part of.
WHO identifies the woman as a tourist travelling from Wuhan to Thailand. She was identified by Thai officials upon her arrival and hospitalised with mild flu symptoms.
"The possibility of cases being identified in other countries was not unexpected, and reinforces why WHO calls for ongoing active monitoring and preparedness in other countries," the organisation said in a statement.
Three days later, on January 16, Japan reports its first case of the virus from a man who visited Wuhan.
People wearing face masks pray at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea. Photo / AP
SECOND DEATH, January 17
A 69-year-old man dies from the virus in Wuhan on January 17, making it the second recorded death.
Over the next few days the United States, Nepal, France, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan all confirm cases of the virus.
The US announces it will start screening flights arriving from Wuhan.
THIRD DEATH, January 20
China reports a third death in Wuhan and more than 200 confirmed cases of the disease.
Infections are also being reported outside the Hubei province including in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. A case of the virus is also detected in South Korea.
China's National Health Commission confirms the virus has been passed through human-to-human transmission.
Asian countries introduce mandatory screenings at airports of arrivals from high-risk areas of China, as millions prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year.
China's President, Xi Jinping, makes his first comments on the coronavirus, saying people's lives must be given "top priority" and the virus needs to be contained.
US CONFIRMS FIRST CASE, January 21
The United States confirms its first case of the coronavirus in Everett, Washington, a man in his 30s who had returned to the area last week from Wuhan.
Taiwan also confirms its first case, a woman in her 50s.
By January 22 the number of deaths in China has jumped to 17, with more than 550 confirmed cases of the virus.
Cases of the virus appear in Hong Kong and Macau as North Korea puts a temporary ban on foreign tourists entering the country.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a plan for the Australians trapped in Wuhan to be evacuated to Christmas Island where they will be quarantined for at least 14 days.
More than 600 Australian citizens in Wuhan have registered for advice or assistance.
Japan and the US also evacuate hundreds of citizens from the city on chartered flights.
France and Germany also make plans to evacuate citizens.
The United Arab Emirates reports the first known case in the Middle East.
British Airways and Lufthansa suspend their China flights, as do airlines from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Russia.
Kazakhstan and Russia shut their borders with China.
A second case of the virus is confirmed in Victoria, hours before the first case is confirmed in Queensland, bringing the total number of cases in Australia to seven.
HUGE DEATH TOLL JUMP, January 30
China announces 38 more deaths, making it the biggest single-day death toll jump so far and bringing the total to 170. More than 8000 have been infected.
Two more cases are confirmed in Australia, one in Victoria and one in Queensland. This brings the total number of cases to nine.
A cruise ship carrying nearly 7000 people is placed on lockdown in an Italian port over two suspected cases.
The WHO declares a global emergency over the coronavirus, with the death toll rising to 213.
The total number of infections has almost reached 10,000.
AUSTRALIAN LOCKDOWN, February 1
Scott Morrison announces unprecedented new control measures that will see all non-Australians travelling from mainland China barred entry at the border in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The tough new measures from the Government come as the number of Australians confirmed to have contracted the virus rose to 12.
All Australians arriving from China will be told to self isolate for 14 days but anyone that is not a citizen or permanent resident will be barred entry.
Qantas also announced it will suspend services to mainland China starting from February 9.
DEATH TOLL RISES, February 2
China confirms the death of a further 45 people, bringing the total death toll to 304.
The number of confirmed cases in China has risen to 14,3000 nationwide, surpassing the number of the 2002-03 Sars outbreak.
A man also died in the Philippines in what is believed to be the first death outside of China from the virus.
Australia has a confirmed 12 cases but three have already been discharged from hospital because they were cleared.
Scott Morrison announces a plan for the Australians trapped in Wuhan to be evacuated to Christmas Island where they will be quarantined for at least 14 days.
More than 600 Australian citizens in Wuhan have registered for advice or assistance.
Japan and the US also evacuate hundreds of citizens from the city on chartered flights.
France and Germany also make plans to evacuate citizens.
The United Arab Emirates reports the first known case in the Middle East.
British Airways and Lufthansa suspend their China flights, as do airlines from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Russia.
Kazakhstan and Russia shut their borders with China.
A second case of the virus is confirmed in Victoria, hours before the first case is confirmed in Queensland, bringing the total number of cases to seven.
