COVID-19 Outbreak Occurred Earlier than Reported by Chinese Authorities

In August 2019, a significant increase in the number of cars in the parking lots of hospitals in Wuhan suggests that the COVID-19 outbreak may have occurred earlier than reported by Chinese authorities. Researchers from Harvard Medical School analyzed satellite images of parking lots at five hospitals in Wuhan and discovered a sharp rise in the number of parked vehicles from August to December 2019, as reported by bbc.com.

This increase coincided with a spike in online searches, as people predominantly searched for the terms “cough” and “diarrhea.” The Chinese government dismissed this analysis as absurd, stating that the authors relied solely on superficial information. It is believed that China officially announced the COVID-19 outbreak in November 2019. This study has not yet received peer review.