Jan 4
-- The NHC and relevant health departments in Hubei Province issued a treatment manual for viral pneumonia of unknown cause to all medical institutions in Wuhan City, and provided citywide training.
-- Head of the China CDC talked over phone with director of the US CDC about the pneumonia outbreak. The two sides agreed to keep in close contact for information sharing and technological cooperation.
Jan 5
-- The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission updated briefing on the situation of viral pneumonia of unknown cause, reporting a total of 59 cases. Laboratory test results ruled out respiratory pathogens, such as influenza, avian influenza, adenovirus, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, as the cause.
-- China informed the WHO about the outbreak updates.
-- The WHO released its first briefing on cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan.
Jan 6
-- The NHC gave a briefing on cases of pneumonia of unknown cause at a national health conference, calling for efforts to strengthen monitoring, analysis and study, and make timely response.
Jan 7
-- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made instructions on epidemic response when presiding over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
-- The China CDC succeeded in isolating the first novel coronavirus strain.
Jan 8
-- An expert evaluation team from the NHC initially identified a new coronavirus as the cause of the epidemic.
-- Heads of China and US CDCs talked over phone to discuss technological exchanges and cooperation.
Jan 9
-- An expert team from the NHC made public of the pathogen, saying a new type of coronavirus was initially identified as the cause of the viral pneumonia in Wuhan.
-- China informed the WHO about the epidemic, sharing with the WHO the initial progress in determining the cause of the viral pneumonia in Wuhan.
-- The WHO released on its website a statement regarding a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, saying that preliminary identification of a novel coronavirus in a short period of time is a notable achievement.
Jan 10
-- Research institutions including the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) developed testing kits. Wuhan City organized tests of all relevant cases admitted at hospitals in the city.
-- Head of the NHC Ma Xiaowei talked over phone with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about the epidemic response.
-- Head of China CDC exchanged information over phone with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
-- The China CDC shared with the WHO the specific primers and probes for detecting the novel coronavirus.
