In a news story that is not totally surprising, considering how much China concealed from the public regarding the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is confirming that COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. earlier than first thought.
According to CDC scientists, the respiratory illness could have arrived in the United States as early as the middle of December.
From The Hill:
The study, published Monday, found evidence of the virus in 106 of 7,389 blood donations to the Red Cross in nine states.
These donations were collected between Dec. 13, 2019, and Jan. 17, 2020, with the Red Cross later submitting them to the CDC to test for antibodies.
Antibodies were detected in 39 samples on the West Coast in Washington, Oregon and California, all of them collected between Dec. 13 and 16. Antibodies were detected in another 67 samples in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Those samples were collected between Dec. 30 and Jan. 17.
Researchers said the antibodies were specific to COVID-19 and that they had ruled out other coronaviruses. COVID-19-specific antibodies were detected in 84 of 90 samples tested.
“The findings of this report suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections may have been present in the U.S. in December 2019, earlier than previously recognized,” the researchers wrote. “These findings also highlight the value of blood donations as a source for conducting SARS-CoV-2 surveillance. CDC is continuing to work with federal and non-governmental partners to conduct ongoing surveillance using blood donations and clinical laboratory samples for SARS-CoV-2 infection in multiple sites across the U.S.”
How early did Beijing report its first case of COVID-19 then?
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