How the Covid-19 Pandemic Unfolded

More than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, life has returned to its pre-pandemic normal in large parts of the world, as many of the restrictions that re-shaped our lives since March 2020 have gradually been lifted.

Thanks to high vaccination rates, often milder outcomes and rising temperatures in the Northern hemisphere, societies can now afford to let down their guard a little bit, even though long Covid remains a major concern in light of the magnitude of the Omicron wave.

In fact, even today we’re seeing new cases in numbers roughly level with pre-Omicron peaks. According to Our World in Data, the seven-day average of new infections stood at 670,000 on April 27, the lowest level since December 2021 but higher than at any point in 2020, when life stood still in large parts of the world.

This animated infographic tells the story of how the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, spreading from China to every corner of the world, infecting more than 500 million people and claiming more than six million lives over the past two and a half years.