Coronavirus was already in Italy in September 2019...

[matthew]

The French samples only reveal an early December possible infection , this Italian report suggests Mid September, it was present in Italy.
I cannot possibly say this is wrong, but I would suggest the samples need checking urgently by an independent party. If it was in Italy then it would suggest the virus has probably been in the human population far longer than currently thought. It could also raise very serious questions as to its original source.

The link I posted to the Wuhan Military Games, states that the games took place 18/10/2019.

Agree any samples originally diagnosed as flu or pneumonia, from last autumn, need rechecking now we have comparative tests for COVID 19.

 

[DaveGrohl]

The French samples I mentioned from a sports team, were taken when they arrived home from an event held in Wuhan. So not blown out of the water at all.
I believe air travel was significant in the spread last autumn.

More here:

Did the Military World Games Spread COVID-19?

The October 2019 event, held in Wuhan, China, appears to have been a vector for spreading disease in the U.S. and around the world.

prospect.org

We started a mile behind in March, and have never caught up.

I feel as if I'm missing something from that article. Either that or it's a very odd article.

Why would they have tested them for Covid when returning when no one knew it existed?

 

[matthew]

I feel as if I'm missing something from that article. Either that or it's a very odd article.

Why would they have tested them for Covid when returning when no one knew it existed?

There was a blizzard of reporting in May about when athletes returned from these games, all questioning the illnesses and deaths, reported on their return from Wuhan. I only quoted one source, but the non sensational press also covered in more detail.

 

[DaveGrohl]

There was a blizzard of reporting in May about when athletes returned from these games, all questioning the illnesses and deaths, reported on their return from Wuhan. I only quoted one source, but the non sensational press also covered in more detail.

Ok I obv missed that story at the time. Still though the question stands, why would they have tested for something they didn't know existed? Genuine question, I'm still missing something soz.

 

[Exfarmer]

Sorry @matthew I clicked on your other link. I was aware of the possible link to the games, and there are plenty of internet rumours supposing that the US military team took it with them, not oddly on the pro Trump sites though
it is of course, very possible, competitors could have returned with it. This would by reason of multiplication, be a far better link than later links supposing it came in the middle - late December. It would be very normal at such events to take part in cultural tours possibly eating local delicacies etc.
Athletes returning would not be expected to have serious illness being fit young and healthy. It is as we all know only too well, to suffer what the Australians cal Quantas Flu, after long haul flights and it is unlikely, that any undue attention would have been paid if a few had developed fevers and coughs etc.
However this Italian report is placing infection further back still and a relatively very high level , which seems very much out of line with anything we have seen elsewhere. In fact if it is correct it would suggests the epicentre may have been Milan

 

[caveman]

Sorry @matthew I clicked on your other link. I was aware of the possible link to the games, and there are plenty of internet rumours supposing that the US military team took it with them, not oddly on the pro Trump sites though
it is of course, very possible, competitors could have returned with it. This would by reason of multiplication, be a far better link than later links supposing it came in the middle - late December. It would be very normal at such events to take part in cultural tours possibly eating local delicacies etc.
Athletes returning would not be expected to have serious illness being fit young and healthy. It is as we all know only too well, to suffer what the Australians cal Quantas Flu, after long haul flights and it is unlikely, that any undue attention would have been paid if a few had developed fevers and coughs etc.
However this Italian report is placing infection further back still and a relatively very high level , which seems very much out of line with anything we have seen elsewhere. In fact if it is correct it would suggests the epicentre may have been Milan

Would the athletes not of given samples for drug doping purposes that may have been investigated more since?

 

[Muck Spreader]

The French samples only reveal an early December possible infection , this Italian report suggests Mid September, it was present in Italy.
I cannot possibly say this is wrong, but I would suggest the samples need checking urgently by an independent party. If it was in Italy then it would suggest the virus has probably been in the human population far longer than currently thought. It could also raise very serious questions as to its original source.

The earliest French cases relate to mid November, but France also suffered from an unusually high number of severe pneumonia cases that autumn/winter. It also was reported that Covid-19 had been found in sewage samples from Barcelona dating back to March 2019.

 

[nivilla1982]

Would be interesting to know what similar testing of sewage across Europe would reveal.