Novel coronavirus pneumonia may have arrived in the US in December 2019, according to a new study published in December 1st.
According to the report, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed more than 7000 blood samples collected by the American Red Cross in nine states from December 13, 2019 to January 17, 2020. Among them, 106 blood samples were positive for antibodies to neocoronavirus.
The study was published in the semimonthly issue of clinical infectious diseases on Monday, local time. The findings suggest that "new coronavirus infections may have occurred in the United States in December 2019, earlier than previously recognized," the authors of the report said.