COVID's Community Spread Didn’t Begin in Early Jan., Says CDC; CES Attendee Claimed Such
Four “separate lines of evidence” suggest community spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. likely began between late January and early February after a “single importation” of the coronavirus from China, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday. "Several…
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importations" from Europe "followed in February and March," it said. "It is not known how many U.S. infections occurred during February and March." The CDC finding that COVID-19 transmissions in the U.S. didn’t begin before late January appears to call into doubt the account of science professor Michael Webber that he likely was infected with the coronavirus at the Jan. 6-9 CES (see 2004240041). CTA and the Southern Nevada Health District have said there’s no evidence that COVID-19 circulated at CES. Webber didn’t comment Monday. CDC attached several caveats to the report. The presented data, though “geographically diverse,” can’t provide “as definitive a picture of transmission as would be available had widespread testing been immediately available after discovery of the virus,” it said. The agency also conceded that several studies are “continuing to test samples retrospectively and might find earlier cases than those presented in this report.”