Study: The virus that causes COVID-19 may have been in the US as early as mid-December 2019, a month before the first confirmed case, based on antibodies found in donated blood. Widespread community transmission likely did not occur until February 2020. Learn more: https://bit.ly/36k3gzI.

From: https://www.facebook.com/CDC/photos/a.184668026025/10158672320311026/?type=3

My doctor sent me to the ER back in late February because I had (right sided) chest pain, extreme shortness of breath on exertion, and a bad cough. The staff and I all laughed about the idea it could be "the thing." What's bad, I came in complaining about being there, thinking my primary doctor was overreacting. The doctor I started with assured me they were just checking out my heart and sending me home. Then shift change happened, and the new doctor decided I came in because I was just an overreacting, hysterical woman and gave me an ativan to calm down before sending me home with the admonishment that there was nothing wrong with me. I had been saying that the whole time, that I had a cold and/or my allergies were really kicking up. Now, I'm looking back and I'm pretty sure I got lucky with just a very minor case of COVID.

My doctor sent me to the ER back in late February because I had (right sided) chest pain, extreme shortness of breath on exertion, and a bad cough. The staff and I all laughed about the idea it could be "the thing." What's bad, I came in complaining about being there, thinking my primary doctor was overreacting. The doctor I started with assured me they were just checking out my heart and sending me home. Then shift change happened, and the new doctor decided I came in because I was just an overreacting, hysterical woman and gave me an ativan to calm down before sending me home with the admonishment that there was nothing wrong with me. I had been saying that the whole time, that I had a cold and/or my allergies were really kicking up. Now, I'm looking back and I'm pretty sure I got lucky with just a very minor case of COVID.

Lissa Reinhardt I think they can check your blood to tell you if you've had covid in the past... I was sick with the flu and strep in January and thought maybe it had been covid as well but I had to take a covid blood test for surgery I had in June and it came back negative

I am convinced that I had it in mid-January 2020, with body aches and fatigue like I’ve never experienced before. It took 3 weeks to recover. I suspect that I got it from a coworker who traveled to Washington state during the holidays and came back sick.

I am convinced that I had it in mid-January 2020, with body aches and fatigue like I’ve never experienced before. It took 3 weeks to recover. I suspect that I got it from a coworker who traveled to Washington state during the holidays and came back sick.

Dawn Ellis wow. Rob never got it?

I’m positive I had it in mid January 2020. I had a throbbing headache, body aches, cough, extreme fatigue, a super tight chest, and my asthma flared up pretty badly. I normally don’t have asthma flare ups unless I’m sick and I had no signs of sickness such as the traditional sinus infection or strep throat. My doctor prescribed the traditional 5 day course of steroids anyway. Normally my asthma is back in line within 2 days of steroids. The full 5 day course of steroids and constant inhaler use didn’t touch this. I was sick a good 2 and a half weeks. Shortly after I got to feeling better, my coteacher got very sick with a nasty cough, runny nose and stopped up contraction, and a throbbing headache. He was sick for almost a whole month and was just getting better when schools shut down in mid March. The whole social studies department, which is one hall over from me, got sick the same time my coworker did with the same symptoms and the student teacher next to me was extremely sick the whole time I was sick as well.

I have wondered for a while if I had it last year. I was sick from Dec-Feb. No meds helped. I had a constant fever, coughing, body aches, fatigue, congestion, etc. I kept going to the doctor asking to be checked for pneumonia, and they wouldn't do it. I have never been sick for that long. I felt like I was dying.

I have wondered for a while if I had it last year. I was sick from Dec-Feb. No meds helped. I had a constant fever, coughing, body aches, fatigue, congestion, etc. I kept going to the doctor asking to be checked for pneumonia, and they wouldn't do it. I have never been sick for that long. I felt like I was dying.

Even before 2019 I was sick with all those same symptoms you mentioned for a minimum 1 month long and so was the rest of my family. No medicine worked on us. We finally went to the hospital and they did chest xrays and just said it was a chest infection. But I have never been sick like that before.

I was in hospital back in Feb. Was sleeping and woke up totally out of breath. I couldn't breath. Ambulance came and gave me back to back treatments. Got to hospital and had 5 more. Before I felt a little better. I was totally down for the count. Stayed in hospital 6 days. Had many tests done. Found nothing wrong. Now I wonder. I want to get tested. No flu for they tested me for it

In mid January, I took my daughter into our walk in clinic here and she had a fever, said her chest felt heavy and it was hard to take a breath in. The Dr. Took chest x-rays and prescribed her meds for a sinus infection, and sent her home. I took her back in the next day to see another Dr. And this dr. Said after looking at her x-rays.... I can't believe you are are breathing right now!! The first Dr. Never showed us the x-rays, and she prescribed her meds for bronchitis and pneumonia and within a few days she was good. I feel she had a case of it as well.

My son was in an urgent care, er, and his primary care Dr all within 24hrs of each other last November 2019. No tests could tell them what he had. He was so sick and carried a cough until this passed summer 2020. His pediatrician even says "hmmmm interesting" to this point.

My son was in an urgent care, er, and his primary care Dr all within 24hrs of each other last November 2019. No tests could tell them what he had. He was so sick and carried a cough until this passed summer 2020. His pediatrician even says "hmmmm interesting" to this point.

sept 2019 woke up with cough, couldn’t breathe! No cold. Cough and feeling so wiped out. 2 days later went to dr. Temp 101, low oxygen levels. Gave me breathing treatment. Antibiotics. 2 inhalers. I did get over it in a few weeks But I had never just woke up with a cough no cold no nothing else just a horrendous cough and couldn’t breathe I was fine the night before I went to bed

Had an elderly friend that had a severe case of pneumonia last December..seemed to have improved but relapsed in late February and died March 2nd..three days before the first Covid case was “diagnosed” in our county 😳😭💔 nothing the drs did could get her carbon dioxide levels down..common symptom of fatal Covid cases

Had an elderly friend that had a severe case of pneumonia last December..seemed to have improved but relapsed in late February and died March 2nd..three days before the first Covid case was “diagnosed” in our county 😳😭💔 nothing the drs did could get her carbon dioxide levels down..common symptom of fatal Covid cases

, I think my sister might have been one of the early Covid deaths in mid November. She flew into Seattle and ferried to Whidby island to visit her grown up daughter and family. She developed a flu like illness and TiA’symptoms. She was given an eKg at a small community ER. All was ok. A flu like illness was listed as the reason for visit. ( flu a and b were negative.)

She had a heart attack ( likely) in her sleep.

She was cremated.

The rest of the family came down with similar symptoms.

The service was two weeks later here in Texas .

My husband caught the same illness from them. He swears it was Covid...

I was CA for work at the specific time in December last year, my coworker and I had both came back with a respiratory illness. Neither of us could get answers from doctors on what exactly it was. 🤔

I was CA for work at the specific time in December last year, my coworker and I had both came back with a respiratory illness. Neither of us could get answers from doctors on what exactly it was. 🤔

had a very bad cough in November’19. Went to the Dr. he ran various tests. Said it was a respiratory infection. Couldn’t identify it but said to be careful. ?????

I thought we knew this already. Especially since Doctors were already treating an unknown respiratory disease that wasn't flu. They just knew their patients were really sick.

I thought we knew this already. Especially since Doctors were already treating an unknown respiratory disease that wasn't flu. They just knew their patients were really sick.

I am almost certain I had it last year, way earlier than most think it’s been here for. A coworker had gotten sick in May, and they kept coming in (low/small staffed office; with symptoms we now know to be COVID symptoms and being negative for flu and other respiratory viruses) after being treated with antibiotics multiple and never getting better, then being given an antiviral and requirements to stay home. About two weeks after she got better, myself and a coworker came down with “it”, and my PCP treated based on symptoms, while admitting that he had no clue what it was, because every test he ran came back negative, including flu. Gave me two rounds of antivirals, a work excuse to be out until completely better, and after staying “quarantined” for about two weeks, I was better. No one else in my house got it, including the immuno-compromised Alpha-1 (congenital lung disease) stepdad. He actually had symptoms of COVID months before that and was in the hospital for a month for something that was neither pneumonia or flu. So, I am in agreement that it has been here longer than people think. Most probably have had it and didn’t realize it if they had an unknown respiratory disease that wasn’t flu.

This makes me wonder why we think it’s so contagious. If the first cases were in December, then why wasn’t it spread as rapidly then? I don’t believe it’s political, and I work closely with it so I know it’s real. It’s just odd to me that if it was here in December then why didn’t it really spread until February.

This makes me wonder why we think it’s so contagious. If the first cases were in December, then why wasn’t it spread as rapidly then? I don’t believe it’s political, and I work closely with it so I know it’s real. It’s just odd to me that if it was here in December then why didn’t it really spread until February.

It could have mutated during that time, making it easier to transmit to one another.

There’s not enough data out regarding this to determine what changed.