follow the money - China PCR test orders soared before first reported COVID case

China PCR test orders soared before first reported COVID case

Government contracts show surges in Wuhan-area purchases starting May 2019

October 5, 2021

[link to asia.nikkei.com (secure)]


Purchases of PCR tests in China's Hubei Province surged months before the first official reports of a novel coronavirus case there, according to a report from researchers in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

About 67.4 million yuan ($10.5 million at current rates) was spent on PCR tests in Hubei during 2019, nearly double the 2018 total, with the upswing starting in May. The report, released by a research team that includes former intelligence officers, is based on records from a website aggregating information on bids for public sector procurement contracts.