A new report by the South China Morning Post suggests the Chinese government was aware of the Wuhan coronavirus since mid-November, a month earlier than it claimed it knew about the respiratory illness.
Documents reviewed by the Post show that scientists believe a 55-year-old from Hubei could be “patient zero.”
Of the first nine cases to be reported in November — four men and five women — none have turned out to be “patient zero,” a term used to refer to the person identified as the first carrier of a communicable disease.
Each day after November 17, one to five new cases were reported, and by December 15, the number of infections had grown to 27. Five days later, the number reached 60, the SCMP said.
The World Health Organization’s website says China’s first confirmed coronavirus case was on December 8, 2019–however, WHO relies on countries to report their data to them.
Fox points out that a medical journal by Chinese doctors who treated some early coronavirus patients reported that the first known infection was December 1.
President Trump announced today that he has declared the Wuhan coronavirus a national emergency.
“I am officially declaring a national emergency — two very big words,” he said earlier today at a press conference. “The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50 billion…and a large amount of money for states, territories and localities.”
He said the United States is working “very hard” on combating the virus and said “We will overcome the threat of the virus.”
For the full report, click HERE.
