Nanthini Raman

Understanding the Science Behind COVID

1. Introduction 1.1 Brief overview of the COVID pandemic and the importance of understanding the science behind it The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has since spread to every corner of the globe, causing widespread illness and death. As of 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported over 100 million confirmed cases and 2.1 million deaths globally.