Short answers, pulled from the story.
The outbreak began in late December 2019 with a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. Chinese pulmonologist Zhang Jixian observed the unusual group on the 26th of December and reported it to local health authorities.
On the 11th of March, the WHO declared the situation a pandemic after confirming infections in multiple countries. This declaration followed rapid spread through the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market and human-to-human transmission that likely began between October and November 2019.
South America became the pandemic epicenter on the 22nd of May 2020 after Brazil confirmed its first case on the 25th of February. Lesotho remained virus-free until the 13th of May 2020, becoming the last African sovereign state infected during this period.
More than 40 million jobs were lost in the United States alone while the International Labour Organization reported global income dropped by $3.5 trillion in the first nine months of 2020. UNESCO estimated ten million job losses worldwide in culture and creative industries.
Official death counts reached millions globally but excess mortality estimates range from 18.2 to 33.5 million deaths. The WHO estimated 14.9 million excess deaths by end of 2021 compared to 5.4 million reported COVID-19 deaths.