Newly Released Report Reveals Possible U.S. Military COVID-19 Cases from 2019 Wuhan Games

A previously unreleased Department of Defense report indicates that seven U.S. service members developed COVID-19-like symptoms after participating in the 2019 World Military Games in Wuhan, China—months before the global outbreak was officially recognized. Although Congress mandated the public release of the report by mid-2022, it was not made available until late March 2025. The findings suggest the virus may have been present in Wuhan earlier than initially reported and raise questions about why the information was not disclosed sooner. The report was uploaded with little public notice to a section of the Defense Department website focused on quality-of-life issues for service members and their families.