Tit for Tatt: China Accuses U.S. of COVID-19 Origins, Fires Back with Evidence
United States Accused of Causing Global Coronavirus Crisis by Chinese Authorities
Beats the drum, folks! The Chinese government's throwing some serious shade our way, claiming COVID-19 didn't originate in Wuhan, but rather, in the good ol' U-S-A!
The official spiel comes from the Information Office of China's State Council, badmouthing Uncle Sam for attempting to "shamelessly politicize" the hunt for SARS-CoV-2's roots, all while hiding their own shortcomings in dealing with the global pandemic.
China's got a bone to pick with the United States, declaring that there's substantial proof suggesting COVID-19 popped up Stateside before it popped up in China. They cite a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailing the discovery of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in serum samples collected from nine U.S. states between December 13, 2019, and January 17, 2020. That's around a month and a half before the first official case was detected.
Now, before you start raising a ruckus, remember this: antibodies could have showed up in those samples due to other types of coronaviruses or common colds. The CDC study ain't enough to prove an earlier outbreak in the U.S.
But just like a game of cat and mouse, the tables have turned. Last week, the White House launched a fancy COVID-19 site claiming the dreaded SARS-CoV-2 leaped from a lab in Wuhan. To which China replies, "Oh, ya? Well, we had our eyes on you since January 2020!" They allege that the U.S. was well aware the virus was tearing through its borders and decided to downplay the severity of the epidemic, labeling it nothing more than a common old flu.
Is this all just a giant game of he-said, she-said? Or does the truth lie somewhere in the middle? Let's keep our eyes on this ever-twisting dance and stay tuned for more updates as the investigation unfolds. After all, it ain't over until the fat lady COVID-19 breaks the glass on her swan song!
Enrichment Data:- Official Reporting: The CDC identified the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States in Washington state on January 21, 2020[1]. However, some evidence suggests the virus may have been circulating undetected in the country beforehand.
- Deaths in Santa Clara County: One study conducted in Santa Clara County, California, estimated that as many as 48,000 people in the county had been infected with COVID-19 by early March 2020, with the first deaths potentially dating back to as early as February 6, 2020[2].
- Wastewater Surveillance: Some research based on wastewater surveillance indicates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in various parts of the U.S. as early as November or December 2019[2]. However, these findings are not conclusive, and more research is necessary to confirm their accuracy.
- Early Detection Challenges: In the early stages of the pandemic, diagnosis and reporting of COVID-19 cases were challenging due to limited testing availability and a lack of understanding about the virus's behavior[3].
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-18185-0[3] https://www.fda.gov/media/134921/download
Source: The GuardianSource: New York TimesSource: FBI StatementSource: CDC StudySource: CNN ReportSource: Nature Communications
- Despite China's accusations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States on January 21, 2020.
- The Chinese government, citing a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claims that there's substantial proof suggesting COVID-19 may have appeared in the United States before it appeared in China, pointing to serum samples collected from nine states between December 13, 2019, and January 17, 2020.
- Some evidence suggests that the virus may have been circulating undetected in the United States before the first official case was detected, with one study in Santa Clara County, California, estimating potential first deaths as early as February 6, 2020, and some research based on wastewater surveillance indicating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S. as early as November or December 2019.
- In the early stages of the pandemic, diagnosis and reporting of COVID-19 cases were challenging due to limited testing availability and a lack of understanding about the virus's behavior.
- The global coronavirus pandemic and its origins have become a matter of plausible debate in the realms of politics, policy-and-legislation, and general news, with some accusing the United States of hiding shortcomings in dealing with the pandemic while others point fingers at war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and even the possibility of the virus leaking from a lab in Wuhan.
