New CDC Report on COVID-19 Early Spread

June 1, 2020

The first U.S. cases of nontravel–related COVID-19 were confirmed on Feb. 26 and 28, 2020, suggesting that community transmission was occurring by late February. However, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that limited community transmission likely began in late January or early February 2020, after a single importation from China, followed by multiple importations from Europe. The CDC says enhanced syndromic and virus surveillance will be needed to monitor COVID-19 trends for the duration of the pandemic.