NIH Study Found SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infections in the USA in 2019

A new antibody testing study announced on June 15, 2021, examining samples originally collected through the US National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program, found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in five states earlier than had initially been reported.

These researchers detected antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using two different serology tests in nine participants’ samples. These findings were published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. 

The results expand on findings from a previous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that suggested SARS-CoV-2, the beta coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was present in the USA as far back as December 2019.