[The coronavirus-induced COVID-19 pandemic. Previous experiences and scientific evidences at the end of March, 2020].

The COVID-19 epidemic hit everyone, professionals and civilians alike. The possibility of a worldwide pandemic has long been theorized by epidemiologists, infectologists on the one hand, and sociologists and behavioral scientists dealing with communication and social habits on the other. Yet, faced with real-time events, daily infections and mortality statistics, almost everyone feels uninformed or disturbingly inexperienced. This summary aims to provide an overview of the latest scientific evidences. Of course, the incomplete material, compiled in late March 2020, will certainly contain a few elements that likely will be outdated in a few weeks. The authors hope that in the next publication we will all read much better and more hopeful prospects. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 644–651.