3 ms·
More evidence suggests Covid-19 was in US by Christmas 2019
- rossdavidh 5y agoSo, I know a guy who probably got it in late December. Here's what we know. He is a bar owner in Austin, so he had a meeting with several people from China, relating to the (we thought) upcoming SXSW. Immediately afterwards, he gets very sick, goes to the hospital, the flu test comes back negative. He loses his sense of taste (so far permanently). One of the Chinese gentlemen he met with was soon thereafter dead from Covid-19. Once antibody tests become available in the U.S., he gets one, and it comes back positive. In fact, so high that they ask if he can donate blood for antibody-transfusion based experimental treatments (he said yes). So, in theory he could have been sick from something else, coincidentally after this meeting with people from China, and then afterwards had an asymptomatic case of covid-19 that would result in the positive antibody tests. But the anosmia makes all of that seem even less likely than it would otherwise. It will never be proven to a degree sufficient to convince those who require absolute certitude, but I have little doubt.
- jml7c5 5y agoYou should tell him to get in contact with the CDC or with researchers again. I'm sure an epidemiologist would be very interested.