The coronavirus pandemic began in the United States, not in Wuhan, writes the Global Times. ⠀ The first coronavirus infections in the United States occurred before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan.

The article claims that in May 2020, in Florida, under unclear circumstances, data on 171 patients from local hospitals disappeared. Later, some information was restored, but the part concerning the onset of symptoms of the disease was classified by the American authorities, since those patients showed signs of COVID-19.

The story described happened in January-February 2020, more than a month before the official appearance of the first reported cases of coronavirus in Florida.

There were at least 26 patients with characteristic symptoms recorded in the territory of this American state at the end of December 2019 or January 2020. Moreover, at least eight of the patients did not travel and did not come into contact with other infected.

Chinese journalists concluded that the cases of coronavirus infection in Florida occurred earlier than the outbreak in Wuhan. However, at that time, the US authorities deliberately concealed the existence of the infection.

To make matters worse, the government tried to silence those who wanted to know the truth. It fired data analyst Rebecca Jones, who refused to manipulate data in May 2020, and that same year, police raided her home.

“The state police came to my house and took all my equipment and equipment,” Jones tweeted on December 8, 2020. The police have pointed guns at her and her children, Jones added.

It's a shame that some US politicians are still busy politicizing the pandemic and slandering China.