Two genetic studies concluded that the majority of the coronavirus cases in New York came from Europe and not China, as previously thought.
A study conducted by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and another by New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine both identified seven distinct lineages of the coronavirus in New York and determined most cases came from Europe, the New York Times reported.
“The majority is clearly European,” Harm van Bakel, a geneticist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said about the study. The study is waiting to be peer-reviewed.
In the studies, doctors were able to examine the genetic material of viruses, identify mutations, and trace the spread of specific strains, which eventually helped them figure out the age and original location of those strains.
The studies suggest that the virus was more widespread than previously thought and lends support to President Trump’s decision to shut down travel from Europe, which was widely criticized at the time.
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel said in a joint statement when the travel ban was announced.
“Public Health Experts Question Trump’s Ban On Most Travelers From Europe,” a headline from NPR read on March 12.
A CNBC headline from March 13 reads, “Trump’s travel ban on many European countries is ‘politically motivated,’ analysts say.”
