The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic began in early December in Wuhan, the 7th most populous city in Mainland China, and was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 December 2019. An outbreak of unknown aetiology was suspected because many early cases were linked to a large, live animal market that was misleadingly named Huanan Seafood Market, and the causative agent was identified as a novel coronavirus on 7 January 2020. On 11 February 2020, the official names of the virus, SARS-CoV-2, and the disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), were announced by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses and the WHO, respectively.
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