SCMP Suggests November 17, 2022, as Possible Date of China's First COVID-19 Case

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Young-shin] The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 13th that there is Chinese government data suggesting the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurred on November 17 last year. The first COVID-19 case confirmed by Chinese health authorities was on December 8.

According to SCMP on the 13th, a 55-year-old patient from Hubei Province was the first confirmed COVID-19 case on November 17 last year. SCMP reported that from November 17 onwards, 1 to 5 new cases were reported daily, and by the end of last year, the total confirmed infection cases reached 266.

SCMP stated that the Chinese medical community only became aware of COVID-19 at the end of December. This implies that there was a vulnerable period of about a month without any defenses against COVID-19. SCMP explained that although it cannot confirm whether the first patient on November 17 was the 'patient zero' who started the COVID-19 infection, this information could help trace the virus's transmission path and origin.

SCMP also suggested the virus origin might be wild animals (bats). Furthermore, SCMP raised the possibility that the initial patient could have appeared before November 17. The data in question has not been made public, SCMP added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.