‘Case Zeroes’ in world did NOT come from WIV

Racket News’ scoop is interesting, but ignores mountain of evidence of people who’d already been infected by coronavirus by November 2019.

I’m convinced the novel coronavirus had spread widely around the world by November 2019. While the virus may have originated in Wuhan, it did NOT originate in this city in November 2019. Not identifying the true start date of early spread is probably the least appreciated of the many Covid scandals. 

The popular Substack Public/Racket published a major story yesterday, which purports to have named the first three “Case Zeroes” in the world - three scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) who reportedly became “sick” with Covid-like symptoms in November 2019.

(UPDATE/June 17: The UK’s Intercept newspaper has also now published a big story, saying the same things.)

However, my reporting and research has identified at least 306 people from four other nations and at least seven U.S. states, many of whom also had Covid-like symptoms in the months of November and October 2019 with at least 153 of these early cases later receiving positive antibody tests.

This compelling evidence of “early spread” strongly suggests the three Wuhan scientists could NOT have been “case zeroes.” 

This prompts two significant, still-unanswered questions:

Why have “investigators” searching for possible “Case Zeroes” NOT interviewed the large number of people with antibody and “symptom” evidence of early infection? 

Why is the copious evidence of “early spread” being ignored by public health officials, government officials and members of the press?

It should be highlighted that public health officials in France did interview 13 French citizens - all infected in October or November 2019 - who tested positive with an ELISA antibody test. (This non-trivial detail has received virtually no attention in the press. See more details below.)

According to yesterday’s report, “Public and Racket are the first publications to reveal the names of the three sick WIV workers and place them directly in the lab that collected and experimented with SARS-like viruses poised for human emergence.”

The Public story, co-written by well-known investigative journalist Matt Taibbi, quotes a former WHO expert who describes the revelation as a “game-changer” and “the smoking gun” on virus origination.

“Jamie Metzl, a former member of the World Health Organization expert advisory committee on human genome editing who raised questions starting in early 2020 about a possible research-related pandemic origin, said, ‘It’s a game changer if it can be proven that Hu got sick with COVID-19 before anyone else. That would be the ‘smoking gun.’ Hu was the lead hands-on researcher in Shi’s lab.’ “

Significantly, the article specifies “November 2019” as the date the scientists became sick. Previously, public health officials around the world had dated the first known cases to early December 2019, with all cases originating from a Wuhan “wet market.” Furthermore, for many months, the prevailing narrative was that the virus was naturally-occurring and had leapt from animals to humans. Thus, the public was assured, the virus was NOT created in a lab.

Also, from the Public/Racket article:

“ … not only do we know there were WIV scientists who had developed COVID-19-like illnesses in November 2019, but also that they were working with the closest relatives of SARS-CoV-2, and inserting gain-of-function features unique to it.”

“ … When a source was asked how certain they were that these were the identities of the three WIV scientists who developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in the fall of 2019, we were told, “100%.” (Emphasis added throughout article).

Apparently symptoms do matter to some officials (and journalists) …

Note that the authors and officials place great weight on the fact that these three Wuhan lab workers “developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in the fall of 2019.”

In my previous “early spread” articles, I have also placed great weight on the fact the citizens I’ve identified as likely experiencing “early Covid” also experienced the same type symptoms. 

However, I believe my reporting is far more significant because I have also shown these same formerly-sick or “symptomatic” people also tested positive for Covid antibodies (several, with more than one test).

Also, as I showed in my-most recent article, millions of Americans (far more than in prior “flu seasons”) were experiencing Covid symptoms between November 2019 and January 2020 - before the first “confirmed” case of Covid in America (January 17, 2020).

What follows is a brief summary of the 306 people I have identified as almost-certain Covid cases. Significantly, all of these presumed Covid cases date to November 2019 or earlier.

Public health investigators, government officials and members of the press interested in the Covid “origin question” are encouraged to closely read my previous articles, documenting these likely early cases (here, here, here, here, here and here). For more germane links, please see my first post in today’s Reader Comments section.

Michael Melham tested positive for antibodies 2 times

Mayor Michael Melham - November 2019 in NJ …

In my opinion, perhaps the most significant and convincing early case is that of Belleville, NJ mayor Michael Melham.

As was reported by major news organizations such as Fox News and NJ.com in early May 2020, Melham states he came down with Covid symptoms at a conference in Atlantic City Nov. 19-21, 2019.

Melham later tested positive for Covid antibodies with two different antibody tests. He also reports that “many” other people at the same conference later contacted him and reported they also became sick with similar symptoms.

Significantly, no public health investigator ever interviewed Mayor Melham about his possible/likely early case, a revealing detail ignored by the world press.

As I point out in previous articles, the chain of infections that resulted in Melham experiencing symptoms between Nov. 19-21 must have begun days or weeks before Mayor Melham became symptomatic. 

For example, we do not know when the unknown person who infected Melham first contracted this virus nor do we know the unknown person who infected this unknown person. The logical inference is that the novel coronavirus was spreading in New Jersey at least by early November 2019.

Another November 2019 case in south Florida ….

Uf Tukel of DelRay Beach, Florida - thousands of miles from New Jersey - also developed Covid symptoms in “late November,” according to a Palm Beach Post article from early May 2020. Tukel was one of 11 residents from the same DelRay Beach neighborhood who tested positive for antibodies in late April/Early May 2020. The other 10 all had symptoms in December.

The manager of the clinic/lab that tested these residents for antibodies is quoted as saying the clinic tested 500 people between March 2020 and late April/early May. Forty percent of these tests (approximately 200 local residents) came back positive for Covid antibodies.

Furthermore, the clinic’s manager said she’d shared these results with officials at the Florida Department of Public Health, which has never disclosed the number of Florida citizens who tested positive for antibodies in the fist weeks and months antibody tests became available.

A case from “fall” 2019 in Marin Co., California - with 2 positive AB tests

From the Reader Comments following a May 2020 New York Times article on “Covid symptoms,” I found the eye-opening account of “Shane from Marin County, California” who reported he had severe Covid symptoms in the “fall” of 2019. In his post, Shane says he got two different positive antibody test results from two different labs - labs he names in his post.

In my opinion, journalists at The New York Times and/or public health officials could have easily tracked down “Shane” and investigated his startling and “narrative-changing” claim. If Shane is telling the truth (which I think he was), he might have been “case zero” in America.

He couldn’t have been “Case Zero” in the world because some unknown person infected him, perhaps on a trip Shane reports making to the Mid-East and Italy.

104 Americans sent me emails - with at least 7

claiming to have also received positive AB results

After one of my “early spread” stories was picked up by Citizen Free Press, I received approximately 104 emails from readers who believe they might also have had “early cases” of Covid. From this number, at least seven readers report they later tested positive for Covid antibodies.

Four of these citizens reported first experiencing symptoms in November 2019  and one in October 2019. Another likely/possible early case was a spouse of one of these readers who did not experience Covid symptoms but tested positive for antibodies in May 2020, according to her husband. 

Sub-total from this labor-intensive project: Six more antibody confirmed cases that pre-date December 2019.

These residents lived in Nebraska, south Florida and Texas. Three readers provided their full names and one respondent provided his first name.

Several of these respondents said they received notifications from the Red Cross that they had tested positive for antibodies. Several reported their doctors are also aware of this information. I maintain public health officials could easily confirm these results and could and should interview all of the individuals who had possible early cases.

While most of the above individuals are known (or could be easily tracked down with a credible investigation), I do not know the names of many other Americans who also tested positive for Covid antibodies.

CDC knows of 106 Americans who tested positive for antibodies

- many before the WIV scientists allegedly became sick.

The CDC knows of at least 106 Americans (from nine states) who tested positive for antibodies due to the ONE antibody study of archived Red Cross blood that was performed. (I keep pointing out that it’s very strange no other tranches of “archived,” pre-official pandemic blood were ever tested for antibodies).

As I have written numerous times, the CDC tested two tranches of archived blood. The first tranche of blood was donated by Red Cross blood donors from Washington, Oregon and California Dec. 13-16, 2019. Of approximately 1,900 blood donors, 39 donors (2.04 percent) had blood that tested positive for Covid antibodies (again, from the CDC’s own ELISA antibody assays).

As it takes one to two weeks for detectable levels of antibodies to form and blood donors aren’t supposed to donate blood if they’ve recently been sick, my conjecture is that virtually every one of these positive donors was infected in November 2019 if not October or even earlier.

The second tranche of archived Red Cross blood from six other states revealed an additional 67 positive antibody results. This tranche of blood was collected between Dec. 30, 2019 and Jan. 17, 2020. Again, it’s very likely at least some of these blood donors had also been infected by at least November 2019.

While 106 Americans from nine widely-dispersed states had antibody evidence of prior infection, this is not the true number of infected Americans suggested by the “Red Cross Blood study.” This is because we know that 106 unknown people first infected these 106 positive donors. Those unknown donors were also infected by other unknown donors even earlier.

If one only counts the 39 positive blood donors from the Dec. 13-16, 2019 collection dates, this would equate to at least 78 Americans who were infected by November 2019, some probably earlier.

Notably, the identify of all 39 positive donors was “de-personalized” and none of the 39 positive blood donors - any one of whom might have been “case zero” in America or the world - were ever interviewed by public health officials. Still, the identities of every one of these blood donors was/is known by certain Red Cross officials and perhaps by CDC officials.

Positive cases from other countries

The above sections summarize likely early cases from America. Antibody studies of “archived” blood were also conducted in Italy and France.

Strong or compelling “antibody” evidence of “early spread” can be found in this study of archived blood from France (353 possible early cases) and this study produced by a team of academic researchers in Italy that detected 111 possible early cases.

Significance of French study has been overlooked …

The French study is persuasive and important for several reasons, including these highlights from the study:

• “… Strikingly, 13 participants with positive ELISA-S and SN tests had been sampled between November 5, 2019 and January 30, 2020 …”

• Unlike with the CDC’s “Red Cross Blood Study,” all 13 of these donors were later interviewed by French public health officials regarding the characteristics of their symptoms and when these symptoms developed.

• “… we identified 353 participants with a positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG test, among whom 13 were sampled between November 2019 and January 2020 and were confirmed by neutralizing antibodies testing.”

• “… Investigations in 11 of these participants revealed experience of symptoms possibly related to a SARS-CoV-2 infection …”

The below screen shot of Table 1 of the French study provides information on the gender, ages, antibody titer levels, dates when blood was collected and discloses if the positive donors were symptomatic or not. In the far right column, it also provides details on these symptoms and notes whether other family members or roommates had Covid-like symptoms at approximately the same time.

This table shows 13 French citizens who tested positive for “neutralizing” Covid antibodies. 

Seven donated blood (that would later be tested for antibodies) in November 2019, three in December 2019 and three in January 2020.

According to their own testimonies, five of the 13 antibody-positive donors were symptomatic many months before Covid officially arrived in France. 

However, the tally of “close contacts” reveals 11 people in total experienced Covid-like symptoms. At least three people reported experiencing Covid-like symptoms in October 2019 and several others in November 2019.

The study also points out that Participant No. 7 tested positive for antibodies two times - after donating blood on November 29, 2019 and again in July 2020. 

Key Question: Why is it considered “smoking gun” evidence of “Case Zeroes” in the world when we learn three lab workers from the WIV became “sick” in November 2019, but the evidence that 13 known people in France had Covid antibodies (and five report experiencing Covid symptoms) is almost completely ignored or considered insignificant information?

Many more French citizens who tested positive for antibodies experienced symptoms in the months immediately after October and November 2019, but this article is focussing only on global citizens who had antibody-evidence of prior Covid infection in November 2019 or earlier.

Italy Study Summary from paper:

“We investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD)–specific antibodies in blood samples of 959 asymptomatic individuals enrolled in a prospective lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020 to track the date of onset, frequency, and temporal and geographic variations across the Italian regions. SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific antibodies were detected in 111 of 959 (11.6%) individuals, starting from September 2019 (14%), with a cluster of positive cases (>30%) in the second week of February 2020 and the highest number (53.2%) in Lombardy. 

“This study shows an unexpected very early circulation of SARS-CoV-2 among asymptomatic individuals in Italy several months before the first patient was identified, and clarifies the onset and spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Finding SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in asymptomatic people before the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy may reshape the history of pandemic.”

My comment: We now know that this study did NOT “reshape the history of the pandemic,” probably because study results have been almost completely ignored.

Table 1 of the study reveals that of the 111 antibody-positive blood donors from the cancer screening study, 86 donated Covid-positive blood (IgG and/or IgM) in September 2019 (23 donors), October (27 donors) and November (26 donors).

One possible early case in the UK in November 2019 …       

I also found a likely/possible early case (from November 2019) by reading the Reader Comments from an article published by the UK’s Daily Mail on May 16, 2020.

A reader identifying herself as “Just lil old me” from Lancashire, England reports she was hospitalized in ICU with pneumonia symptoms in November 2019 and later tested positive for Covid antibodies in late April 2020.

I submit that UK public health officials and/or journalists for this newspaper could have easily identified and then interviewed this individual, who might have been one of the first known cases in the UK. (But she would not have been the first case in her country as an unknown person infected her.) Obviously, such inquiries did not occur.

Summary of likely antibody-confirmed cases from November or earlier …

USA Early Cases …

78 - from the CDC’s “Red Cross Antibody Study) - 39 positive donors who gave blood Dec. 13-16, 2019 plus 39 unknown people who infected these blood donors

6 - Identified by my original research as reported in various press reports (Mayor Melham, Uf Tukel, “Shane” from Marin County, CA) …  plus the 3 unknown people who infected these people.

12 - Six American citizens contacted me and reported they experienced symptoms in November 2019 or October 2019 and later tested positive for antibodies … plus six unknown people who infected these people.

America subtotal: 96 people … from at least

7 states (CA, WA, OR, NJ, FL, NEB and TX).

France summary …

At least 13 people who donated blood before mid-January 2020, blood that was already positive for Covid antibodies - plus 13 unknown people = 26 possible early cases.

Italy Summary …

86 Italian citizens tested positive for Covid antibodies with blood collected between September 2019 and the end of November 2019 … Plus 86 unknown people who infected these people = 172 possible early cases.

UK Possible Early case… 

One lady who reports she was hospitalized in ICU in November 2019 and tested positive for antibodies in late April 2020 … plus, the unknown person who infected her = 2 possible early cases.

Total possible early cases: 306 … in at least four countries

and seven different U.S. states.

Notes: The above summary does not include many more likely “antibody-confirmed” cases I have identified from December 2019 nor any of the cases from the second tranche of The Red Cross Blood study, which almost certainly includes people who were infected in November 2019 if not earlier. 

If I count Americans who tested positive for antibodies who are believed to have been infected in December, my reporting and research has identified possible early cases in Americans who live in 16 different states. 

I believe the fact so many Americans were infected in so many different states strongly suggests the novel coronavirus was being transmitted person-to-person across the entire country.

Summary/Conclusion:

I believe 306 likely/possible early cases in four countries among people apparently infected in November and October 2019 should qualify as enough “evidence” to prove this virus was “spreading” throughout the world by October 2019.

In totality, this evidence should also easily prove that the first cases in the world were almost certainly NOT three lab workers in Wuhan who became sick in November 2019. (This said, the Public article is significant news and I commend the journalists who presented this story to readers).

I do believe it’s possible this novel virus originated in Wuhan, but if it did, “Case Zero” would have to have been infected in September 2019 if not earlier to have had time to spread and infect so many people in so many far-flung locations by October and November 2019.

The 306 presumed early cases referenced above include at least 153 positive antibody tests (the other 153 cases would be from unknown virus transmitters). To discount this evidence, officials, in effect, are asking the public to believe that every one of these 153 positive antibody results was a “false positive.”

As noted, the bulk of these antibody tests were performed by government labs (such as the CDC’s lab). Many positives were from ELISA antibody assays, said to be the gold standard of antibody testing. 

Several individuals who tested positive received more than one positive antibody result from different antibody tests and labs.

In my opinion, it’s also a major “tell” that no American official interviewed one person who tested positive for antibodies. This comports with one of my oft-repeated Covid beliefs- i.e. officials do NOT investigate that which they do not want to “confirm.”

Readers can reach their own conclusions as to why the copious evidence of “early spread” has been ignored and not seriously investigated  by public health officials and America’s so-called “watchdog” press.

Final Note - A Bernie Madoff Analogy …

My wife and I just finished watching a Netflix documentary on the “Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff,” who orchestrated the largest Ponzi fraud in world history.

The most maddening part of the documentary are the segments showing how one man, forensic accountant and securities executive Harry Markopolous, quickly figured out the fraud as early as 1999 and still couldn’t get anyone to act on the evidence he repeatedly tried to present to the press and regulators at the SEC.

As the documentary makes clear, Markopolos presented overwhelming evidence of massive fraud to regulators “on a silver platter.” Amazingly, this did no good and Madoff might never have been exposed absent the stock market melt down of 2008.

Regarding the scandal of unexposed world-wide early spread of the novel coronavirus, I feel like Mr. Markopulos must have felt for eight years.

While I am not a journalist for a major news organization like The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, I have still managed to disseminate my “early spread” evidence to key government agencies and numerous news organizations.

Articles presenting this evidence have been published at widely-read sites such as UncoverDC.com, The Brownstone Institute, the UK’s Daily Sceptic and Citizen Free Press, one of the most popular news aggregators in the world.

I have also emailed evidence of early spread to the CDC and The Alabama Department of Public Health. 

I have made too many posts (with article links) in Reader Comments sections on the Internet to count. I’ve repeatedly sent emails to reporters and editors at The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NJ.com, al.com and dozens of other news organizations, presenting this evidence.

I have written approximately 20 “early spread” articles at my own Substack site, which now has 4,000 subscribers and has generated more than 700,000 cumulative reads.

That is, it is impossible for me to believe that no senior public health official or government official is unaware of all or portions of the evidence I have presented.

In short, I think plenty of important public health officials, journalists and editors at many prestigious journalism organizations are aware of this evidence.  And every one of them have ignored it.

I don’t possess the vocabulary to adequately express how much this disturbs me. I understand why certain government officials and agencies might wish to ignore this evidence and eschew any serious investigations into the “case studies” I’ve highlighted again today. But for the life of me I don’t understand why the mainstream “watchdog” press is disinterested in this evidence.

As regular readers know by now, I have concluded the mainstream press must be a part of a massive conspiracy to conceal important Covid truths from the public. 

And if the press is disinterested in reporting the truth on vitally-important Covid topics, I’m almost certain these journalists, publishers and editors are doing the same thing with myriad other scandals they will never expose.

Again, I think I know exactly how Harry Markopolos must have felt. I also think officials concealing explosive truths from the public know that people like me will continue to be ignored.

Note: Anyone with relevant information into my on-going investigation into early spread, can email me at: wjricejunior@gmail.com. If readers prefer anonymity or would like to provide information off the record, I will of course honor this request.