First U.S. coronavirus death occurred in early February, weeks earlier than previously thought

[TravelTime]

At least two people who died in early and mid-February had contracted the novel coronavirus, health officials in California said Tuesday, signaling the virus may have spread — and been fatal — in the United States weeks earlier than previously thought.

Tissue samples taken during autopsies of two people who died at home in Santa Clara County, Calif., tested positive for the virus, local health officials said in a statement. The victims died on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, respectively.

Initially, the nation’s earliest coronavirus fatality was thought to have occurred on Feb. 29, in Kirkland, Wash., a suburb of Seattle that rapidly became a hot spot. In March, health officials there linked two Feb. 26 deaths to covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus.

The Santa Clara County fatalities push back the earliest coronavirus-related fatality by weeks, with the new findings potentially altering the timeline of the U.S. outbreak.....

.....Models for epidemics rely heavily on the start date of an outbreak, Bhattacharya told The Post. If that date gets pushed back, models must be redone and reviewed, increasing the number of people believed to be infected right now, he said.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/22/death-coronavirus-first-california/

 

[Panina]

At least two people who died in early and mid-February had contracted the novel coronavirus, health officials in California said Tuesday, signaling the virus may have spread — and been fatal — in the United States weeks earlier than previously thought.

Tissue samples taken during autopsies of two people who died at home in Santa Clara County, Calif., tested positive for the virus, local health officials said in a statement. The victims died on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, respectively.

Initially, the nation’s earliest coronavirus fatality was thought to have occurred on Feb. 29, in Kirkland, Wash., a suburb of Seattle that rapidly became a hot spot. In March, health officials there linked two Feb. 26 deaths to covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus.

The Santa Clara County fatalities push back the earliest coronavirus-related fatality by weeks, with the new findings potentially altering the timeline of the U.S. outbreak.....

.....Models for epidemics rely heavily on the start date of an outbreak, Bhattacharya told The Post. If that date gets pushed back, models must be redone and reviewed, increasing the number of people believed to be infected right now, he said.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/22/death-coronavirus-first-california/

It would be interesting to know when those people actually got sick. January, December?

I know mom was sick in December, massive headaches, chest pains, difficulty breathing, went to doctor, thought virus or flu. Not saying she had coronavirus but it is conceivable that earlier cases were diagnosed incorrectly as it wasn’t on the radar.

If we ever really find out when China really had their first case then we might have a better idea when it first reached us.

 

[rhonda]

I'm quite certain it was in the US long before these Feb deaths. My brothers and I each feel we've been through it with no common points in contact. I brought it home from our cruise in Dec; one brother fell sick in Jan from work contacts who travel between California and Wuhon; the other brother reports being sick in Feb with likely contact in a shopping mall in Georgia.

 

[TravelTime]

My DH works in Santa Clara county. My DH was very sick in February for at least 3 weeks. We thought, even back then, that it might have been coronavirus. His cough persisted for 3 weeks and it was the worst cough he ever had. With this new information, it seems very possible he had it. I did not get sick but who knows, I might have been asymptomatic or maybe I just did not get it. My DH said many people at his company were sick in February. At the time, he said something was going around.

 

[Luanne]

I'm still thinking I may have had it late December, but dh insists I didn't since I was around a lot of people and no one else got sick. But I think @Panina and I were comparing symptoms and they were pretty much the same: dry cough, aching, no energy. The only thing I don't think I had was a fever.

 

[b2bailey]

At least two people who died in early and mid-February had contracted the novel coronavirus, health officials in California said Tuesday, signaling the virus may have spread — and been fatal — in the United States weeks earlier than previously thought.

Tissue samples taken during autopsies of two people who died at home in Santa Clara County, Calif., tested positive for the virus, local health officials said in a statement. The victims died on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, respectively.

Initially, the nation’s earliest coronavirus fatality was thought to have occurred on Feb. 29, in Kirkland, Wash., a suburb of Seattle that rapidly became a hot spot. In March, health officials there linked two Feb. 26 deaths to covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus.

The Santa Clara County fatalities push back the earliest coronavirus-related fatality by weeks, with the new findings potentially altering the timeline of the U.S. outbreak.....

.....Models for epidemics rely heavily on the start date of an outbreak, Bhattacharya told The Post. If that date gets pushed back, models must be redone and reviewed, increasing the number of people believed to be infected right now, he said.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/22/death-coronavirus-first-california/

Okay, so inquiring minds want to know ...
The two early deaths, people who were carrying the virus. What about the people who were around them? Where are they now?

 

[TravelTime]

Okay, so inquiring minds want to know ...
The two early deaths, people who were carrying the virus. What about the people who were around them? Where are they now?

None of that is reported in the media. I assume there were thousands of cases in January and possibly even in December.

 

[DaveNV]

I'm quite certain it was in the US long before these Feb deaths. My brothers and I each feel we've been through it with no common points in contact. I brought it home from our cruise in Dec; one brother fell sick in Jan from work contacts who travel between California and Wuhon; the other brother reports being sick in Feb with likely contact in a shopping mall in Georgia.

I wonder if you/they were tested, would you show antibodies to the virus? If so, maybe donating plasma would be a good thing?

Dave

 

[Panina]

I wonder if you/they were tested, would you show antibodies to the virus? If so, maybe donating plasma would be a good thing?

Dave

That is the big unknown. Who knows when we will easily be able to get that antibody test. I want one. Now looking back I was sick weirdly in February when I came back from Florida. With the fizzing as they call it that I has and a lesion I had that is finally getting better, I am wondering too.

 

[DaveNV]

That is the big unknown. Who knows when we will easily be able to get that antibody test. I want one. Now looking back I was sick weirdly in February when I came back from Florida. With the fizzing as they call it that I has and a lesion I had that is finally getting better, I am wondering too.

That's what prompts my question. I personally haven't been ill in the last few years, so I doubt I've had Covid-19. But for those who have had any sort of "mystery illness" recently, I wonder what a test could determine?

Dave

 

[Steve Fatula]

There was an article the other day about China origin as well. Some virus tracer had discovered some evidence the virus was present in China before the first known case. This is all unknown currently, but, probably wouldn't be too surprising. With evidence of many asymptomatic people, who's to say how many were infected before the currently assumed patient 0? So, like the US, not sure we will ever find patient 0 for sure. But I believe that the US first infection is before the first death in Washington state and and in China, before the first currently known case in China.

I volunteered for the antibody test the NIH wants to do for a nationwide sample. How many volunteers would the NIH have from my part of the country? Likely few if any. It would be interesting, though, it's not for certain it provides you with any immunity (yet).

 

[rhonda]

I wonder if you/they were tested, would you show antibodies to the virus? If so, maybe donating plasma would be a good thing?

Dave

I tried! When I heard of an antibody research project in San Diego (Scripps) I inquired and provided my history. The reply came back, "We are only accepting those who tested positive."

I found that curious as the news article said they were especially seeking those who had recovered more than a month prior (seeking "well aged antibodies") and there were no tests available on that back dated event. Oh, well. I tried.

 

[DaveNV]

I tried! When I heard of an antibody research project in San Diego (Scripps) I inquired and provided my history. The reply came back, "We are only accepting those who tested positive."

I found that curious as the news article said they were especially seeking those who had recovered more than a month prior (seeking "well aged antibodies") and there were no tests available on that back dated event. Oh, well. I tried.

That is weird. Maybe call the news station and tell them your experience? I'd think they'd want to share that information with the public. My recollection of San Diego TV stations is that they were big on local news, and "consumer action" type stories. Might be worth making some noise.

Dave

 

[rhonda]

That is weird. Maybe call the news station and tell them your experience? I'd think they'd want to share that information with the public. My recollection of San Diego TV stations is that they were big on local news, and "consumer action" type stories. Might be worth making some noise.

Dave

Newspaper rather than TV news. But it simply isn't going to make my "top 10" for the battles I choose to fight. I gave it a go; the research team has my contact information and history.

EDITED to add story link: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/story/2020-03-23/dennis-burton
Publish date: 3/23/2020
Snippet: “We’re particularly interested in finding blood donors who have been recovered from the coronavirus for a month or two,” said Dennis Burton, co-chair of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research. “Antibodies tend to improve with time.”

 

[geekette]

Yeah, the curse of needing a positive result, the elusive test.

I am on the list for my hospital research. I won't take a med, but would donate time, blood, plasma, spit, whatever. I would like to help the test makers in my area, as I should be a consistent negative result.

 

[rhonda]

Yeah, the curse of needing a positive result, the elusive test.

I am on the list for my hospital research. I won't take a med, but would donate time, blood, plasma, spit, whatever. I would like to help the test makers in my area, as I should be a consistent negative result.

I figured the antibodies should speak for themselves and I expect them to be pretty vocal. ;-)

Same here, I won't take a med but would donate time, blood, plasma. Hadn't thought of spit, but I s'pose that, too. (By the point I've given blood ... what is left to hide?)

 

[geekette]

I figured the antibodies should speak for themselves and I expect them to be pretty vocal. ;-)

Same here, I won't take a med but would donate time, blood, plasma. Hadn't thought of spit, but I s'pose that, too. (By the point I've given blood ... what is left to hide?)

I really don't want the nasal swab, tho. That looks gruesome all on its own!! They could make me sneeze into a petri dish!

 

[Icc5]

My DH works in Santa Clara county. My DH was very sick in February for at least 3 weeks. We thought, even back then, that it might have been coronavirus. His cough persisted for 3 weeks and it was the worst cough he ever had. With this new information, it seems very possible he had it. I did not get sick but who knows, I might have been asymptomatic or maybe I just did not get it. My DH said many people at his company were sick in February. At the time, he said something was going around.

I know of at least a half dozen friends on Facebook that suffered something real bad in November and some in December next door to me in Santa Clara. All thought it was flu (they all already had flu shots and all are 68.69,70). Now they are all questioning it and probably won't know until tests are given to more of the general population of people not currently with any symptoms.
Bart

 

[DannyTS]

My wife always laughs when I say things like "this is the best soup ever". The thing is that I mean it.
I would like to remind everyone that we all have recency bias. The last flu we had was "the worst ever" but we might have said that 10 times before.

 

[Luanne]

When I came home sick from California in December we had been staying in Sunnyvale, which is in Santa Clara County.

Dd and I were talking about this again a couple of days ago. She said she and dh had never seen me so sick.

 

[TravelTime]

My worst flu ever was 32 years ago. I doubt it will ever be worse than that. It was so bad that I could see my body lifting above me as I did not want to be in my body. I guess I am not typical in that recency does not affect me.