On Jan 30, 2020, WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern,
a month after COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China. By this point, several mathematical
and computational models had already raised the alarm about the potential for the
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to cause a global pandemic
and the dire consequences for public health should drastic action not be taken. During
the emergence of a novel pandemic, predictive modelling is important in public health
planning and response.

Source: www.thelancet.com