Chinese scientists put forward a new version of the origin of COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 in the United States could have begun as early as September 2019, earlier than in China, according to a study by Chinese scientists published on the scientific portal ChinaXiv.

A team of Chinese scientists used a mathematical model to analyze the possible start date of COVID-19 spread in the United States and China, using data on the number of confirmed infections.

“Based on analysis of data from 12 representative U.S. regions chosen to determine the date of the first infection, there is a 50 percent probability that the first infection occurred between August and October 2019. This is earlier than the officially announced date of the first confirmed case in the U.S., January 20, 2020.”

According to the scientists, the results of their analysis show that it is highly likely that COVID-19 began spreading in the U.S. in September 2019. At the same time, the scientists note, the spread of COVID-19 in China itself most likely began only in late December 2019.