A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On Jan. 21, 2020, the U.S. reported its first known case of the 2019 novel coronavirus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who had returned the previous week from the outbreak’s epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle.
Think about that. Five years ago today, most of us had never heard of coronavirus, thought pandemics were only for the history books, and believed the U.S. was invincible.
Per Deseret News archives, the first COVID-19 patient treated in Utah was reported in late February and, as the public health threat expanded, Utah government and community leaders faced the same struggles in navigating the crisis as the rest of the world.
The Utah Jazz became part of the story as the NBA and other entertainment fields learned about the pandemic’s power. Schools, churches and businesses all shut down, and the public health machine became the most important newsmaker for a couple of years.
It is easier to look back and point out successes and failures in the fight to overcome COVID-19 and return to normal life. Assigning blame and learning from mistakes and preparing for future challenges are not part of this look back.
Here are some articles from Deseret News archives that shed light on the days and months in 2020 when the world confronted the coronavirus:
“The day everything changed: The Utah coronavirus story”
“Top Utah news stories of 2020: A year like no other”
“Coronavirus: 7 ways you may be panicking wrong”
“How COVID-19 led to the week the lights went out on sports”
“NBA season suspended after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tests positive for coronavirus”
“Coronavirus: How the West Coast is winning, and what Utah can learn”
“New study reveals how many people really had COVID-19 in 2020″
“COVID-19: What changed in four years since pandemic was announced?”
“COVID-19 was not the leading cause of death in 2020, CDC says”
“In our opinion: Cherish this 1 lesson learned from the pandemic”
“Relationships are helping people through the pandemic. But what if you’re not in one?”
“Surprise! Families have grown stronger during COVID-19, not weaker”
