Nearly a year after a mysterious pneumonia emerged in China and began its global spread, there is still no silver bullet treatment for COVID-19 despite an unprecedented effort to discover new medicines or repurpose existing drugs.

From the first cases in central China to hopes of a vaccine a year later, here are a dozen key developments in the spread and subsequent fight against COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic is no excuse for not getting enough exercise, the World Health Organization said, warning that even before the crisis many were getting too little physical activity. 

Scotland made sanitary products free to all women, becoming the first nation in the world to take such a step against "period poverty".

A transgender teenager is taking legal action against England's health service over a delay in accessing specialist gender care, as global debate rages over whether adolescents should be allowed to medically change gender.

Hopes of an effective vaccine against coronavirus becoming available rose again on Monday with AstraZeneca and Oxford University claiming success with their product, becoming the third team to do so.

Britain’s AstraZeneca said on Monday its vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be around 90 percent effective without any serious side effects, giving the world another important tool to halt the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health authorities say the most widespread anti-COVID weapon -- surgical masks -- must be thrown away after a single use, but environmental concerns are pushing some scientists to question this recommendation.

The single-use test, made by Lucira Health, has been given emergency use authorization for home use with self-collected nasal swab samples in individuals age 14 and older who are suspected of COVID-19 by their health care provider, the FDA said.

A type of deadly tick that bites dogs is more than twice as likely to feed on humans as temperatures rise, underlining the health risks of climate change.

A tongue-in-cheek video clip that urges young Germans to do their patriotic duty in the war against coronavirus by just staying at home and being couch potatoes has become an internet sensation.

Family planning has gained huge momentum. Yet big challenges remain.

Breakthrough technology that transforms the body into a virus-zapping vaccine factory is poised to revolutionize the fight against COVID-19 but future pandemics and even cancer could be next.

The World Health Organization launched a strategy to rid the world of cervical cancer, stressing that broad use of vaccines, new tests and treatments could save five million lives by 2050.

Dozens of companies, from biotech start-ups to Big Pharma, are racing to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, both to meet urgent medical need and for the potential payday.

Moderna released early results from a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants, after US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their vaccine was 90 percent effective. 

Britain will open two new laboratories in early 2021 that will more than double the country's capacity for carrying out COVID-19 tests.

Indonesia’s COVID-19 task force confirmed 5,444 new cases on Friday, the highest single-day figure the country has seen, as the cumulative death toll passed 15,000, two weeks after a long weekend during which thousands of people traveled throughout the country.

Young Europeans are drinking less alcohol and also smoking less -- but are increasingly dabbling with cannabis, a continent-wide study showed Thursday.

Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines play an "outsized role" on social media, driven in part by a lack of reliable information which could threaten their efficacy.

The Gates Foundation added another $70 million of funding on Thursday to global efforts to develop and distribute vaccines and treatments against the COVID-19 pandemic.

With tropical heat, remote island communities and a dearth of ultra-cold freezers, many Asian countries aren't betting on Pfizer's experimental vaccine solving their COVID-19 crisis any time soon.

Britain proposed a ban on online advertising of unhealthy foods, as part of its efforts to tackle obesity and improve public health.

Pop superstar Beyonce has joined forces with home exercise company Peloton in a deal to create workout classes featuring her music, geared especially to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

Stamping out the coronavirus is a distinctly new challenge due to three factors: the short time frame for inoculating a huge number of people, most vaccines will require two doses, and the very low temperature at which some of the vaccines must be stored.

High levels of so-called "T cells" that respond to the coronavirus could be sufficient to offer protection against infection, adding to the evidence of the crucial role they play in immunity to COVID-19.

Many COVID-19 survivors are likely to be at greater risk of developing mental illness, after a large study found 20 percent of those infected with the coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days.

One of the teams racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine announced its drug had shown 90 percent effectiveness, sending markets soaring and raising hopes of an end to the worst pandemic in a century.

A US government-convened expert committee on Friday voted against recommending the approval of the first new Alzheimer's drug in almost two decades after finding insufficient evidence of its benefit. 

Healthcare platform Halodoc has teamed up with several healthcare facilities in Jakarta and Surabaya, East Java, to offer rapid antigen tests.