Yes months before Trump said anything January.
I heard pundits / conspiracy hunter I might call them but they are not necessarily affiliated to any politic party.
The CCP have been spreading to the mainland and the diaspora chinese that the Americans did this to them and they begun this in February to the first of my knowledge. Through a friends wife who watches Chinese Satelitte channels. She and many of them believe America did this too them, they're not worried it seems about all the rest of the people in the world affected.
So some propaganda but the US was late to that game and it's obviously not good diplomacy to sit and accuse other countries without proving your evidence to support such claims. But that doesn't stop a commie though.
The following may provide you with some information further to what you questioned.
If it isn't or wasn't accidentally released or naturally having occurred, then who did it?
Who stands to gain from releasing this anyway? Not America, Not China or any country.
So i think you must conclude that it can only be occuring naturally/ accidentally or someone let it out. If someone let it out then who stands to gain is easier to establish but still not easy to show proof.
Would you believe Steve Bannon is cited as party to those who released it? Him with a Chinese defector, billionaire who lives in New York as an American citizen and some other peoples. I dont know what they gain in any financial sense but their stated aim is the downfall of the CCP.
The CCP was already looking like they were having trouble maintaining power even before this virus what with internal citizen unrest and with Hong Kong being the only part we were allowed to see openly. Their grip on power was weak by independent reports and at anytime 70 plus % of their army is involved in keeping the peace within the country.
So as far as Communist power is generaly constructed, concentrated and implemented it would not be above them from releasing it on their population and then trying to control it without information leaking just to quell the unrest.
But anyway whether manmade and released or naturally happening or a combination of the 2 the true elected Tyrants the people of the world have placed in office should be apparent to those with eyes to see. Whether thats little Tyrants in the form of Governors and Mayors or Presidents.