5-year anniversary of COVID-19 pandemic

Five years ago, reports of a new and mysterious virus emanating from China gripped the globe in terror and uncertainty.

As infections spread across continents, humanity raced to better understand the novel coronavirus and prevent its proliferation, with case counts, hospitalizations and deaths climbing rapidly.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the first in over a century. The international agency urged everyone around the globe to work together to alter the course of the virus, which had already touched 114 nations and ended more than 4,000 lives.

“Some countries are struggling with a lack of capacity. Some countries are struggling with a lack of resources. Some countries are struggling with a lack of resolve,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that day. “All countries must strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimizing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights.”

Here’s a look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in images:

Originally Published: March 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM PDT