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The world just passed 1 million COVID-19 infections. It's been just 3 months since the first new coronavirus case was reported in China.

Aylin Woodward   

The world just passed 1 million COVID-19 infections. It's been just 3 months since the first new coronavirus case was reported in China.
Science2 min read
coronavirus covid 19 patient emergency workers protective equipment suits masks gloves south korea march 9 2020 GettyImages 1211268635

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Medical staff, wearing protective gear, move a patient infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) from an ambulance to a hospital on March 09, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.

  • The new coronavirus has now infected more than 1 million people worldwide.
  • It's been only three months since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019.
  • More than 51,000 people have died worldwide; at least 208,000 have recovered, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
  • The coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, has spread to 181 countries.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The number of people who have been infected by the coronavirus is now more than 1 million.

The COVID-19 outbreak, which started in Wuhan, China three months ago, has hit at least 181 countries, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The US, with 234,000 cases, has the highest number of infected people - about one-quarter of the world's total. Italy has 115,000 cases, Spain has reported 110,000, and China has seemingly plateaued at 82,000 cases.

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic.

hubei wuhan medical workers staff protective masks coronavirus covid 19 march 17 2020 GettyImages 1207502928

Stringer/Getty Images

The medical staff of China national emergency medical team prepare for boarding at the Tianhe airport on March 17, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei in China.

More than 51,000 people have died worldwide. Italy and Spain have reported the highest death counts to date, with about 14,000 and 10,000 deaths, respectively.

The death total in the US and France continues to climb, too - as of Thursday, at least 5,000 Americans and 4,000 people in France had died.

However, at least 208,000 people have recovered from the illness, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

Italy lockdown .JPG

Ciro De Luca/REUTERS

A man reaches to a basket, that were hung up so people can donate or take for free food, as Italy struggles to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Naples, Italy, March 30, 2020.

At least one-third of the world is under some type of lockdown due to the pandemic (90% of Americans are under stay-at-home orders). Governments are ordering people to stay home and socially distance themselves from others outside their immediate families to curb the spread of the virus.

Global efforts to "flatten the curve," so as not to overwhelm existing healthcare systems with cases, seem to be working slowly, if at all, as the daily coronavirus case count continues to rise.

Here is a timeline of some of the most significant events and moments of the pandemic.

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