Editing COVID-19 pandemic (section)

== Origin and Spread ==

=== Initial Outbreak ===
The first known outbreak began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, with early cases linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. The scientific consensus indicates a likely zoonotic origin from bats or another closely related mammal. Molecular clock analysis suggests the first cases occurred between October and November 2019. By December 2019, the virus had begun spreading in Hubei, with 60 cases reported by December 20 and at least 266 by December 31.

=== Global Spread ===
The disease spread rapidly worldwide in early 2020, affecting most countries by March. The first cases outside China appeared in Thailand and Japan in January 2020, followed by widespread transmission in Iran, Italy, and other European countries. The United States reported its first case on January 13, 2020, and became one of the most severely affected nations.