Mysterious deaths of infants and others raise questions about how early coronavirus hit California

[intrepidity]

This article is from yesterday, but I just saw it today. It's hard to pick only 3 paragraphs to show. Best to go read the whole article at link. If it's behind a paywall, try Googling the title and see if that works.

This issue is one that many of us have been thinking about. I had become convinced, based on the genomics forensics done by the Seattle group, that the official timeline was more or less correct. Then those early cases out of San Jose emerged. Nagging doubts linger.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-06-21/babies-children-december-deaths-join-the-wait-for-covid-19-testing

Preserved samples of DeLap’s lungs are among tissue from more than 40 California deaths waiting for a decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on whether to test for COVID-19. Orange County has nine of the cases, as does Los Angeles County. Kern County has identified two respiratory deaths that might suggest COVID-19, both of young women, one of whom died Dec. 21.

(snip)

The Orange County coroner ruled DeLap’s death the result of severe acute lobar pneumonia, one lung so congested it had doubled in weight. But the coroner did not identify the organism infecting DeLap. The thought that it might have been the coronavirus haunted Cortez as she heard story after story of similar deaths. DeLap was an organ donor, so four weeks ago Cortez called the organization that received his tissue to ask if they were going to test it for COVID-19.

Unknown to Cortez, the Orange County coroner harbored similar questions. DeLap’s death is among nine cases from late December to March that the county has asked the California Department of Public Health to consider. The deceased range in age from 33 to 61 and include an elderly homeless man found in his RV and a young surfer who collapsed. Initial autopsies attributed their deaths to congested lungs, pneumonia or blood clots.

[winetourdriver01]

1. Timeline

The plague was here in January if not earlier. My two house mates and I all caught it mid January. It's just a fact it was here earlier than the government wants to admit. The post viral complications have been a nightmare.

[intrepidity]

3. I have my own anecdote as well

Sick for 3 weeks in January with respiratory illness. If I thought the antibody test was reliable, I'd consider paying the $100 to have it done, to know for sure.

[Golden Raisin]

5. Same thing. Three weeks in January with severe, dry, hacking cough

and 3 nights where I woke up at 3am literally gasping for air and had to get out of bed and stand up to try and control it. At the end of each week I thought I was getting better then, WHAM, it came back. Happened to have a pre-scheduled doctor appointment (regular check-up) right in the middle of it and when I mentioned it the doctor sounded very casual --- like he had been seeing a lot of what I had coming through his office. I'm in NYC. I keep reading that the timeline for when this all started keeps being pushed back further and further.

[sheshe2]

2. So much we still have to learn.

[OhZone]

4. Some analysis says COVID-19 might have started in Wuhan in August, not November

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2020/06/09/Analysis-COVID-19-might-have-started-in-Wuhan-in-August-not-November/2511591724931/


"
June 9 (UPI) -- The COVID-19 outbreak may have started in Wuhan, China, in August 2019 -- at least three months earlier than previously thought -- according to an analysis by researchers at Harvard University.

The findings, based on satellite images of city streets and search engine use among local residents, show a marked increase in traffic outside five hospitals in Wuhan from late August to December.

"

So I'm thinking a lot of the people who thought they had it earlier than January, may have had been right.