Ski Team Members Possibly Brought COVID-19 to North Carolina

Public health officials investigated early cases linked to U.S. skiers training in China

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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According to a report from citizen journalist Bill Rice, public health officials in North and South Carolina were investigating the possibility that at least two members of the U.S. female ski team had contracted COVID-19 while training in China and then traveled back to the U.S., potentially causing an early outbreak of the virus in the Boone, North Carolina area. However, Rice's analysis suggests this scenario is unlikely, as there are no ski trails in Wuhan, China where the initial COVID-19 outbreak was reported.

Why it matters

This story raises questions about the origins of COVID-19 and whether the initial outbreak was truly confined to Wuhan, China as widely reported. If U.S. ski team members were exposed to the virus elsewhere in China and then brought it back to North Carolina, it could suggest the virus was spreading more broadly in China before the Wuhan outbreak. This would undermine the official narrative about the virus's origins.

The details

According to an email Rice received from a man named John Perry, public health officials in North and South Carolina called Perry and asked him about his possible early case of COVID-19 in January 2020. The officials reportedly told Perry they were investigating the possibility that at least two female U.S. ski team members had contracted the virus while training in China and then traveled back to the U.S., potentially sparking an outbreak around Boone, North Carolina. However, Rice's research indicates there are no outdoor ski trails in Wuhan, China, casting doubt on this theory. He speculates the ski team members may have been exposed to COVID-19 elsewhere in China before returning to the U.S.

  • In early January 2020, John Perry reported having COVID-19 symptoms.
  • In March 2020, Perry tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

The players

John Perry

A man from South Carolina who reported having COVID-19 symptoms in early January 2020 and later tested positive for antibodies in March 2020.

U.S. Ski Team Members

Unnamed female members of the U.S. ski team who public health officials believed may have contracted COVID-19 while training in China and then traveled back to the U.S.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for further investigation into the early spread of COVID-19, as the official narrative about the virus's origins in Wuhan may not tell the full story. The possibility that the virus was circulating more broadly in China before the Wuhan outbreak raises questions about how the pandemic began and whether public health officials have been transparent about what they knew and when.