Chinese national newspapers Global Times and China Daily are pushing a study - that has not been peer-reviewed - suggesting that Covid-19 could have been in the US as early as April 2019.
China Daily says that research into epidemic data, which was carried out by two Chinese universities, “indicates with 50% probability that the first Covid-19 infection in the United States may have occurred between August and October 2019, and the earliest possible case was on 26 April 2019, in Rhode Island”.
Global Times says that this infers the virus was in the US months before cases were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.
This is not the first time that state media have pushed theories suggesting the virus originated in the West. It has been common for outlets to suggest that cases of Covid-19 pre-dated China’s - and the world's first - outbreak by suggesting cases were already in northern Italy, and in the US.
There has been a lot of disinformation surrounding the latter theory. In mid-2020, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian played an important role in spreading the “US origin” theory. He posted on Twitter multiple messages suggesting that the virus may have leaked from a US military base.
Ahead of the US intelligence report on the virus origins last month, Chinese state media pumped out reports suggesting the Covid-19 virus was made and leaked from the Fort Detrick US military base in Frederick, Maryland.
A rap song was even produced, suggesting the virus was hatched in a lab, and this was endorsed by multiple official media outlets and government officials
China Daily says that research into epidemic data, which was carried out by two Chinese universities, “indicates with 50% probability that the first Covid-19 infection in the United States may have occurred between August and October 2019, and the earliest possible case was on 26 April 2019, in Rhode Island”.
Global Times says that this infers the virus was in the US months before cases were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.
This is not the first time that state media have pushed theories suggesting the virus originated in the West. It has been common for outlets to suggest that cases of Covid-19 pre-dated China’s - and the world's first - outbreak by suggesting cases were already in northern Italy, and in the US.
There has been a lot of disinformation surrounding the latter theory. In mid-2020, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian played an important role in spreading the “US origin” theory. He posted on Twitter multiple messages suggesting that the virus may have leaked from a US military base.
Ahead of the US intelligence report on the virus origins last month, Chinese state media pumped out reports suggesting the Covid-19 virus was made and leaked from the Fort Detrick US military base in Frederick, Maryland.
A rap song was even produced, suggesting the virus was hatched in a lab, and this was endorsed by multiple official media outlets and government officials
