Coronavirus Was Already Spreading in America by Last Christmas, Study Finds
Government scientists based their study on blood samples collected by the American Red Cross last December and January.

Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon
The virus that would go on to ruin the vast majority of 2020 was already spreading in the United States before Christmas last year, a government study has found. The finding was made by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it suggests that the coronavirus was infecting people around the world well before it was officially identified in China. According to The Wall Street Journal, the scientists based their study on blood samples collected by the American Red Cross between Dec. 13 and Jan. 17. They reportedly found evidence of COVID-19 infection, in the form of antibodies, in 106 of 7,389 blood donations. “SARS-CoV-2 infections may have been present in the U.S. in December 2019, earlier than previously recognized,” the authors wrote.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.