The coronavirus may have infected a small number of people in the United States as early as Dec. 13, more than a month earlier than researchers had thought, according to scientists who analyzed blood samples taken from American Red Cross donations. The researchers noted that they could not say whether the apparent infections were in travelers who had caught the virus in other countries, or whether the infections led to wider community transmission. Before this new report, the earliest documented infection in the country was on Jan. 19 in someone who had traveled to China. Although other genetic studies have suggested the possible presence of the virus earlier than that date, the new study found that blood donations from nine states sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carried coronavirus antibodies — protein markers of past exposure to the virus, or perhaps to one very similar to it.

Source: New York Times December 01, 2020 21:11 UTC