COVID-19 appeared in France in November 2019: study

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease was circulating in France in November 2019, a new study by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) has found.

"Surveys conducted with 11 of these participants revealed the existence of symptoms that may be linked to infection with the virus responsible for COVID-19 or to situations at risk of potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 as of November 2019,"said a statement.

COVID-19 infections in France are among the highest in Europe, with more than 3.4 million positive cases and over 80,000 deaths. The health authorities on Wednesday confirmed 25,387 recorded 25,387 new cases and 296 deaths in the past 24 hours.