Rampaging virus

On January 11, less than two weeks after it alerts a cluster of pneumonia cases "of unknown cause", Beijing announces its first death from an illness which will become known as Covid-19.  By March a pandemic has been declared and a month later half of humanity is in lockdown as governments scramble to halt its spread. Massive state aid programmes are rolled out to save jobs as the International Monetary Fund predicts recession, with the global economy shrinking by 4.4 percent. In November, drug companies announce positive results for several vaccines as a second wave of cases lashes the planet. Within a month, the first shots are being given but by Christmas some 1.76 million people are dead, with the US the worst hit.

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