My sister and her children, in southern NJ, very likely had Covid-19 in very early January, just after returning home from Europe, including Italy. This would be 2 weeks before the first American patient was diagnosed after returning from Wuhan. (thread below:)

On New Year's eve, we all spent the day in Verbier, Switzerland; Evian, France; and Aosta, Italy-- all of which were pleasantly packed. Most of that time, though, was spent in Aosta, which was also the most crowded, with (mostly Italians) jamming the streets, shops and cafes.

Later that night, back in Verbier, my nephews went to crowded New Year's Eve parties, including a concert attended by hundreds of revellers from around the world.

Early Jan. 2, they flew from Geneva to Newark, then drove home to southern NJ. Within about 2 days, they started to feel sick...really, really sick.

My sister had a fever, and "the worst sore throat ever." A terrible dry cough "that would not go away." She was exhausted, had trouble breathing, and for the first time in her life, was given an inhaler. She does not have asthma or any pre-existing condition.

One of her teenaged sons developed a terrible fever and was taken to the ER, delirious, with a fever of 104.5.
They were tested for influenza, which came back NEGATIVE. The testing ended there.

They were sick for weeks. My sister's cough would start to go away, then come right back.
Was it Covid? Seems pretty likely. Travel from Europe, though not China. Negative test for flu.
But until tests are available, we won't know. This was the early days of JANUARY.

"What could this possible BE?" they all wondered, assuming it was the worst and longest flu of their lives. Now, they are pretty sure... But did it come from Italy? The NYE parties? The flight? No one knows, but it again shows Covid may have already been circulating.