According to a March 13 report in the South China Morning Post, the first case of someone in China suffering from COVID-19 can be traced back to November 17, 2019. The South China Morning post reviewed Chinese government data in their search for “Patient Zero”. The identity of Patient Zero is still unconfirmed, but it may have been a 55-year-old from the Hubei province. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier in March that it wasn’t until December that the Chinese understood they had a full-blown pandemic on their hands after several Hua’nan street market vendors, including a Wei Guixian, became severely ill and were hospitalized.

“When doctors did finally establish the Hua’nan link in late December, they quarantined Ms. Wei and others like her and raised the alarm to their superiors. But they were prevented by Chinese authorities from alerting their peers, let alone the public.

[…]

“Even after Chinese President Xi Jinping personally ordered officials to control the outbreak on Jan. 7, authorities kept denying it could spread between humans—something doctors had known was happening since late December—and went ahead with a Chinese Lunar New Year banquet involving tens of thousands of families in Wuhan.

“China has rejected any criticism of its epidemic response, saying it bought time for the rest of the world. Mr. Xi told 170,000 officials in a teleconference on Feb. 23 that the country’s leadership acted swiftly and cohesively since the beginning.”

Thank you, China for giving birth to this monster. One year later, we are still unraveling the mystery of COVID-19 and its effects on the human body and societies. Progress has been made with therapeutics, mitigation of sure death, and vaccines. Sadly, our leaders are so focused on controlling the outcome of a disease that cannot be controlled (no matter what Joe Biden says), that the effects on our society are quantifiable and destructive.

What we have learned in one year are the lengths that authoritative governments will go to control and manipulate people, and how easily we are willing to be manipulated.

WorldOMeter.info is tracking the worldwide response and the numbers:

Pay attention to what is highlighted. Recovery, and Death per million vs. confirmed cases. No one in the legacy media makes those comparisons. All you hear about are the number of cases and overall number of deaths—especially in the United States. All this does is engender panic in those prone to anxiety and worry, and allow the state and local officials already drunk on power to recommend more mask mandates and lockdowns.

As my colleague dvdmsr says,

“The same is true of many people who are now being tested for Covid-19. Often times they are being tested because their job, school, or placement requires that have the test and not because their doctor has prescribed the test because they are exhibiting symptoms of the illness. So, they may test positive for Covid-19, but they are neither ill or contagious.

“Once upon a time, Liberals demanded that we not overreact when people were testing positive for a disease because that didn’t mean they were either ill or contagious. Of course then they were concerned that people with HIV would be treated poorly in a panic. I guess Liberals just don’t care if anyone else is treated poorly in a panic.”

Who is being treated poorly?

Our Kids. Our Elders. People of Faith. People who have chronic illnesses and cancer. Despite multiple studies that show the young are rarely affected or spread COVID, many states still have children distance learning.

Back in October, the WHO came out with findings that lockdowns have been destructive. So, what is the prevailing strategy in Michigan, Illinois, Oregon, Ohio, and California with these new spikes? New lockdowns of course, and don’t even think about Thanksgiving and Christmas!

The CDC issued a report that showed people wearing masks were more susceptible to COVID transmission, yet our betters double down on the mask theater.

Yes. Also, people don't bother to fit them properly. A smart 2009 paper called "Filtration Performance of FDA-Cleared Surgical Masks" concluded:

Surgical masks should not be used for respiratory protection.

The science hasn't changed, only the politics.https://t.co/Ld9rxoyvaO https://t.co/G5Zq5FBSar

— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 17, 2020

The Three Outbreak Clusters

April 21
July 17
Nov 3

This is not from mask-wearing protocols. pic.twitter.com/pt3LQp5RDw

— Ethical Skeptic ☀ (@EthicalSkeptic) November 16, 2020

So, Happy Birthday COVID. For our mental, economic, and personal survival, we won’t wish you many more.