During the<unk> -19 pandemic in mainland China, the<unk>  of China has followed a zero<unk>  strategy to prevent the spread of<unk> -19. After discovery of a cluster of patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, a public notice on the outbreak was distributed on 31 December 2019. On 8 January 2020, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was announced by<unk>  scientists as the cause of the new disease; the virus was sequenced and its genome uploaded online. On 23 January 2020, the<unk><unk>  banned travel to and from Wuhan, enforced strict quarantines in affected regions and initiated a national response. The epidemic in Hubei province peaked on 4 February 2020. Large temporary hospitals were built in Wuhan to isolate patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, with the first opening on 5 February 2020. The epidemic was heavily concentrated within Hubei province and Wuhan. Through 22 March 2020, over 80% of the recorded cases in China were in Hubei province, with over 60% of cases nationwide occurring in Wuhan alone. By the summer of 2020, China had largely brought the outbreak under control, ending widespread community transmission. After the initial outbreak, lockdowns and other restrictive measures were eased throughout China. The lockdown in Wuhan was lifted on 8 April 2020. The epidemic control measures in China held the death toll due to<unk> -19 to under 5,000. China is one of a small number of countries that have pursued an elimination strategy, sustaining zero or low case numbers over the long term. Most cases in China are imported from abroad, and several new outbreaks have been quickly controlled through intense short-term public health measures, including large-scale testing, contact tracking technology, and mandatory isolation of infected individuals. In the 18 months after the containment of the initial outbreak in Wuhan, two<unk> -19 deaths were recorded. In 2020 and 2021, China was the largest exporter of<unk> -19 critical medical products. China was the world's largest exporter of face masks, increasing exports by around 600% in the first half of 2020. A number of<unk> -19 vaccines have been developed in China, which have been used in its vaccination programme. Through November 2021, China was the world's largest exporter of<unk> -19 vaccines, with a cumulative share of around 40% of worldwide exports (totalling around 1.5 billion doses), according to the World Trade Organization. China's response to the initial Wuhan<unk> -19 outbreak has been both praised and criticised. Some have criticised the censorship of information that might be unfavorable for local officials. Observers have attributed this to a culture of institutional censorship affecting the country's press and Internet. The<unk>  censored whistleblowers, journalists, and social media posts about the outbreak. During the beginning of the pandemic, the<unk><unk>  made efforts to clamp down on discussion and hide reporting about it. Efforts to fund and control research into the virus's origins and to promote fringe theories about the virus have continued up to the present. In October 2020, The Lancet Infectious Diseases reported: "While the world is struggling to control<unk> -19, China has managed to control the pandemic rapidly and effectively."
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Investigations into the origin of COVID-19
Ebola virus disease treatment research
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