More evidence suggests Covid-19 was in US by Christmas 2019

A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year show that the new coronavirus popped up in the US in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials.

A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the US in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials. The analysis is not definitive, and some experts remain skeptical, but federal health officials are increasingly accepting a timeline in which small numbers of Covid-19 infections may have occurred in the US before the world ever became aware of a dangerous new virus erupting in China. “The studies are pretty consistent,” said Natalie Thornburg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.