WHO marks 5 years since COVID-19 came on its radar it became the worst pandemic in a century [Video]

On Dec. 31, 2019, the World Health Organization first learned about what ended up becoming the worst pandemic in over a century.

That day, WHO’s office in China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of what it called “viral pneumonia.”

The virus that might have seemed innocuous at the time ended up shaping our lives and our world in the weeks, months and years that unfolded, and came to be known as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we mark this milestone, let’s take a moment to honour the lives changed and lost, recognize those who are suffering from COVID-19 and long COVID, express gratitude to the health workers who sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from COVID-19 to build a healthier tomorrow,” WHO said in a statement marking the five-year anniversary.