The novel coronavirus first appeared in China in December 2019. By February 2025, Covid-19 had claimed 7,087,718 lives globally, making it the fifth-deadliest pandemic in history.
Judge orders $24 billion in damages for Missouri
A Missouri judge has ruled that the Chinese government is responsible for hiding the true scale of the Covid-19 pandemic and monopolising personal protective equipment (PPE) during the crisis. The pandemic, which began in 2019, has caused more than 7 million deaths worldwide.
Judge Stephen N Limbaugh of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri ordered China to pay $24 billion in damages.
In 2020, Missouri filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and other entities linked to the outbreak. The case claims that China obstructed the production and trade of PPE, worsening global shortages. The lawsuit also accused China of nationalising American factories that produced PPE and hoarding protective equipment made in or available for sale in the US.
Missouri’s economic losses and impact
Judge Limbaugh stated that China’s actions to monopolise PPE were accompanied by misleading statements about the virus’s spread and human-to-human transmission. Missouri provided substantial evidence to support these claims. The judge also ruled that China violated anti-monopoly laws, harming Missouri’s economy by reducing tax revenue and increasing PPE costs. Missouri had to spend an extra $122 million on PPE and lost over $8 billion in tax revenue.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey described the ruling as a “landmark decision” to hold China accountable. He added that Missouri would take steps to recover the $24 billion by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including farmland. Bailey also tweeted, “Hey China, You owe Missouri $24 billion.”
China rejects ruling on Covid-19 accountability
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the ruling. They said the lawsuit had no legal or factual basis and that China would not accept it.
“If China’s interests are harmed, we will take appropriate countermeasures under international law,” the spokesperson stated.
The ruling comes nearly six years after Covid-19 cases were first reported in China. The virus spread quickly across the globe, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in January 2020. Two months later, it officially declared a pandemic.
As of February 2025, the global death toll from Covid-19 had reached 7,087,718, ranking it as the fifth-deadliest pandemic in history.
