Chinese woman, 57, identified as Coronavirus ‘Patient zero’ from Wuhan seafood market.

There is no official confirmation currently available stating that the coronavirus patient zero is a woman from Wuhan seafood market.

There is no official confirmation currently available stating that the coronavirus patient zero is a woman from Wuhan seafood market. On March 6, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that one of the first people to become infected with COVID-19 was a 57-year-old seafood merchant Wei Guixian who worked in the Wuhan seafood market where the virus is believed to have originated from. Moreover, The Express reported that on December 16, 2019 that Wei Guixian went to the Wuhan Union Hospital for a check-up. The doctor described her illness as ruthless. A statement was issued by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on December 31, 2019, which identified Ms Wei as one of the first 27 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and one of 24 cases with direct links to the market.

However, other media organisations have reported contradicting news. The South China Morning Post reported that according to the government records the first positive case of COVID-19 could be traced back to November 17, 2019. A study in Lancet medical journal claims the first person diagnosed with COVID-19 was identified on December 1, 2019.

Therefore, there are conflicting statements reported by different media organisations and the claim can't be objectively verified.

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.