SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Little is known about how the novel coronavirus entered the United States. But a new revelation offers insight in to how the virus may have begun to spread at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January. With more than 170,000 attendees, it's one of the largest technology trade fairs in the world, with deep ties to Silicon Valley.

"There's a lot of people sharing the same air, there's a lot of close contact between people, a lot of shaking hands, saying hello, (and) having meals with other people," said Michael Webber, a mechanical engineering professor at UT Austin, who fell ill shortly after attending the conference in Las Vegas.

Webber believes he may have contracted the novel coronavirus at the conference just as it was beginning to make headlines across America. This past week, he tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

"I had a high fever, a lot of chills, sore throat, cough, I had a little trouble breathing, like I couldn't breathe easily at night when I was trying to sleep," said Webber. "It was very uncomfortable... all sorts of body aches and I lost my appetite for food."