Studies at a French hospital discovered evidence that a patient who was hospitalised for pneumonia in December 2019, could possibly have been infected with Covid-19.
The evidence was found after old samples of patients, who displayed flu-like symptoms but were not diagnosed with influenza, during December 2019 were retested. The patient is reported to be a 42-year-old man who was born in Algeria but moved to France several years ago.
According to Yves Cohen, head of emergency medicine at Avicenne and Jean-Verdier hospitals, the man would have contracted the virus during 14-22 December based on when his symptoms appeared.
Doctors believe that he could be Europe’s Patient Zero. This means that the official statistics have been proven to be inaccurate, as the first confirmed case was recorded at the end of January after a group of travellers returned from China.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, World Health Organisation spokesperson, Christian Lindmeier, said that there are many other countries where similar evidence is being discovered and reported. Lindmeier said it is an old case of, “the deeper you look, the more you find.”
