By: Annie Priya
May 19 2020
False: COVID-19 originated in the United States.
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The Verdict False
CDC director Robert Redfield's statement on the origin of COVID-19 and the World Health Organisation report refutes the claim.
Claim ID 20573714
CDC director Robert Redfield's statement on the origin of COVID-19 and the World Health Organisation report refutes the claim.The report by the World Health Organisation had stated that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified as the infectious agent causing an outbreak of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China, where the first cases had their symptom onset in December 2019. The report further added that the COVID-19 is likely to be of bat origin, exhibiting 96.2% full genome identity from Rhinolophus bats (family of bats commonly known as horseshoe bat) which are found in Yunnan, China and across Asia. (Refer to Page No.36). The findings of a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that the COVID-19 outbreak originated in Wuhan, China. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.