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COVID WRAP: Coronavirus in US as early as December 2019

Headshot of <span class="author-name text-name1">Alex Peebles</span>
Alex Peebles Reporter
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The National Institutes of Health released a study Tuesday, showing new evidence the Coronavirus was in the U.S. as early as December 2019.

The study looked at 24,000 stored blood samples donated between Jan. 2 and Mar. 18, 2020.

It found samples from people in Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies as early as Jan. 7.

Because it takes 14 days on average for antibodies to develop, researchers believe those blood samples are from people who tested positive for the virus before Christmas 2019.

In other COVID-19 news:

  • The European Union recommended lifting restrictions on United States travelers for the first time since the pandemic began.
  • Tokyo is hoping to start allowing 10,000 people to start attending mass events, potentially including the 2021 Olympic Games, once the state of emergency covering most of Japan is lifted this weekend.
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Gwen Baumgardner: DID YOU FEEL SICK BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN — BUT YOU DIDN’T KNOW WHY?
WELL, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH — YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD THE VIRUS BEFORE ANYONE KNEW IT WAS IN AMERICA.
A NEW STUDY BY THE NIH LOOKED AT 24-THOUSAND BLOOD SAMPLES.
IT FOUND SOME TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 ANTIBODIES AS EARLY AS JANUARY 7TH — 20-20.
AND SINCE ANTIBODIES TAKE ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO DEVELOP — RESEARCHERS SAY THE PEOPLE WHO DONATED THE BLOOD CAUGHT THE VIRUS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 20-19.
AMERICANS ARE TRAVELING MORE NOW — AND SOON — FLIGHTS TO EUROPE WILL BE EVEN MORE ACCESSIBLE.
THE E-U OFFICIALLY RECOMMENDS LIFTING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR AMERICANS… THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN.
AND IT’S NOT JUST EUROPE…THERE’S STILL A CHANCE YOU COULD CATCH THE TOKYO OLYMPICS IN PERSON.
TOKYO PLANS ON ALLOWING UP TO 10-THOUSAND PEOPLE TO ATTEND UPCOMING STADIUM EVENTS.
AND ANYONE WATCHING THE GAMES IN PERSON WILL HAVE PLENTY OF NEW SPORTS TO CHECK OUT.
FOR MORE ON THAT — CHECK OUT TAYLOR’S OLYMPICS STORY BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW.