- Since the coronavirus first emerged from Wuhan, China in December 2019, it has spread to more than 50 countries and infected thousands of people.
- Cruise ships, hotels, and individuals have been put into quarantine in an effort to contain the virus.
- However, several times and in several countries the official containment measures have been breached.
- Given the rapid spread of the virus, it is hard to know which mistakes are inconsequential, and which could lead to many more infections.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
This week the coronavirus started to spread rapidly outside of China, ravaging markets and establishing itself as a global threat.
At the time of writing, more than 83,000 people have been infected in at least 51 countries. At least 2,800 people have died from the illness, mostly in China. Experts say we are on the brink of a pandemic. (For the latest numbers, see Business Insider’s live updates here.)
Various companies, governments, and health authorities have put into place sweeping measures to stop the virus spreading, like bans on travel, quarantines, or canceling events.
However — such measures rely on strictly following protocols. Whether through complacency, miscommunication, or incompetence, that has not always happened.
Here are a list of times something slipped through the net.
A disclaimer: Much is still unknown about the virus and exactly how it spreads. A single breach could lead to millions of extra infections, or zero. Many scientists think containment — even if perfectly executed — is ultimately futile.
