COVID-19 is not an organization but the name of a disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in late 2019 and triggered a global pandemic. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 after a cluster of pneumonia-like illness cases linked to a seafood market were reported. The World Health Organization (WHO) was notified on December 31, 2019, and quickly activated its Incident Management Support Team to coordinate a global response[2][5]. SARS-CoV-2 is genetically related to the earlier SARS-CoV virus responsible for the 2002–2003 SARS outbreak, but it was previously unknown in humans or animals. The exact origin remains under investigation, with prevailing theories including zoonotic transmission from animals to humans and the possibility of a laboratory incident, though no definitive evidence confirms either[1][4][6][9]. The international response to COVID-19 involved unprecedented scientific and public health efforts. WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated action[5]. This spurred rapid development of diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, notably mRNA vaccines based on decades of previous research into synthetic mRNA technology pioneered in the 1980s and 1990s[7]. These vaccines have been a key achievement, enabling millions worldwide to gain immunity and helping to curb the pandemic’s impact. COVID-19 profoundly affected global health systems, economies, and societies, accelerating digital transformation and innovation in healthcare technologies, including telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and vaccine platforms. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of global cooperation in infectious disease surveillance and response[8]. As of 2025, the world continues to manage COVID-19 with ongoing vaccination campaigns and surveillance for new variants. Scientific advisory groups, including WHO’s Scientific Advisory Group on Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), continue investigating to understand the virus’s emergence to better prepar