Coronavirus was circulating in Italy as early as September 2019, scientists there have claimed.
The World Health Organization says COVID-19 was unknown before the outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, in central China, in December. A few months later, the first official cases were detected in Europe.
However, scientists in Italy say they have found evidence the virus was circulating much sooner by checking blood samples of patients taking part in a cancer study.
Samples from four patients, dating back to the start of October 2019, were found to contain antibodies, according to findings published by Milan's National Cancer Institute (NCI).
The results mean they would have caught coronavirus in September - some five months before Italy recorded its first official COVID-19 patient on 21 February, in a town near Milan, in the northern region of Lombardy.
Thank you for this. The research is all so interesting......
This has convinced me of something I have long suspected. Having been previously fit and well, and just celebrated my 60th birthday, I became ill during a weekend away in Italy in November, with every coronavirus symptom going. I developed pneumonia and a chronic cough and have now been diagnosed with bronchiectasis. Being an NHS employee I took advantage of having a Covid 19 antibody test in August, which was negative. The evidence is now of course that the antibodies don't last.
My burning question for the scientists now is:
If you've previously had Covid 19 but the antibodies have worn off, would having it a second time round be more or less serious?
In the meantime back to the breathing exercises, walking and life on Zoom!
This has convinced me that I had Covid at the end of October last year. My symptoms were text book. Fever and dry cough for days ending up in hospital with pneumonia. Covid tests weren't done,just an xray which naturally showed lung problems .The pain in my lungs was horrendous!
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