Thread by @Ayjchan

Because we have no idea when SARS2 / COVID-19 actually emerged in Wuhan, and 2019 case numbers may have been drastically under-reported, it's worthwhile to revisit reports of suspected COVID-19 cases in 2019 that were super strange in early 2020: leparisien.fr/international/…

In Wuhan the "Military World Games - nearly 10,000 athletes representing 100 nations - took place from October 18 to 27" 2019.

Spokesperson for "Chinese Foreign Ministry, hinted on Twitter on March 12 that the coronavirus may have been introduced by the US delegation"

Back in early 2020, when I read about this, I thought it was completely out-there - that it was just people who had seasonal flu or common cold and were alarmed by reports of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus.

But now the covid-19 timeline has extended back to possibly Sep 2019...

https://twitter.com/Ayjchan/status/1362740997936005123

Luxembourg athletes: "Swimmer Julien Henx remembers an infrared body temperature check when getting off the plane. Shot putter Bob Bertemes remembers that "in the village they cleaned everything twice a day and at midnight they switched to cleaning the streets"."

It's going to be completely pointless trying to test these athletes for antibodies now. Even if they were tested in the spring of 2020, they may not have tested positive depending on the severity of their infection. Even if they test positive, they could've caught covid later.

The only thing you can do now is go back to these 10,000 athletes, get their accounts and ideally clinical records - countries and militaries should free them from any restrictions on communications with journalists and scientists.

Important details such as where they lived, whether they went straight home to their families after the games regardless of symptomatic or asymptomatic, whether there are reports of early suspected covid-19 cases in those places.

Clearly, the Chinese gov thought it was possible that these athletes had contracted covid-19 since they suggested that the US delegation had introduced it at the games.

If the @WHO-China report suggests investigating early cases in 2019, I highly highly recommend following up on the 10,000 athletes who attended the Wuhan Military Games in Oct 2019.

Thank you.

In fact, I think it would be completely negligent if the WHO-China team decides to investigate isolated, unsubstantiated cases in Milan, Barcelona, and WA state without first inquiring with the 10,000 athletes who attended the Wuhan Military games and reported covid-like illness.

Considering the number of nations in attendance at that event, accessing the clinical records, samples, and accounts of those 10,000 athletes should be fairly straightforward. They're mostly outside of China.