When did the coronavirus appear in Europe? Polish researchers have reached surprising conclusions
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus could have appeared in Europe earlier than expected, i.e. before the first infections were detected on the “old continent”. So when did the pandemic actually start? Check.
According to official statistics, the coronavirus appeared in Europe on January 24, 2024. However, research conducted by Polish experts sheds new light on the date of the beginning of the pandemic. According to scientists, the pathogen could have posed a serious threat even earlier.
The coronavirus may have been present in Europe as early as October 2019
Professor Przemysław Śleszyński from the Institute of Geography and Spatial Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Warsaw and his colleagues – Dr. hab. Sławomir Kurek from the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow, Ph.D. hab. Robert Krzysztofik from the University of Silesia and Dr. engineer Jan Owsiński from the Institute of Systems Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences – analyzed mortality data from the period between October 7, 2019 and March 22, 2020. They examined 918 regions of the “old continent” and compared the results obtained with the relevant data for the 3-year reference period (2016–2018). In 44 regions, they recorded a marked increase in the number of deaths during this time.
They observed a higher number of deaths, among others, in the French department of Territoire de Belfort. The mortality rate there remained at a very high level long before the official detection of the coronavirus, reaching a record high of 204 percent between November 28 and December 4, 2019. “This may provide circumstantial evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was present in Europe on a much larger scale earlier than commonly believed,” the study authors note. It is worth emphasizing that the Territoire de Belfort department was one of the French regions most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2020, the daily number of deaths in this region was 13 per 10,000 inhabitants. For comparison, in Paris there were 8 deaths for the same number of people.
The coronavirus still poses a threat
It should be emphasized that despite the official end of the pandemic, the coronavirus continues to be dangerous. The number of infections reaches approximately 50,000 per day (worldwide). 327 infections were recorded in Poland today (February 8, 2024). It should be emphasized, however, that these statistics are, as experts point out, significantly underestimated. They do not reflect the actual number of cases. They only refer to reported infections that have been recorded in the system. Therefore, they are not very reliable, considering the fact that many infections are asymptomatic. It is also not uncommon for infections to go unreported anywhere. Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, pediatrician and NRL expert on epidemic threats, recalled this in a recent interview with WPROST. “We cannot talk about the number of cases based on any reliable research, because we have no insight, for example into the tests performed by patients,” he explained.
