Commentary on China’s Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

An epidemic is like a fire: its origin and the conditions under which it spreads determine the extent of damage. The initial outbreak and epidemic of Covid-19 began in China in November, 2019, before spreading to the rest of the planet. It seems to us, therefore, that a responsible blog in HEPL would not gloss over the lack of transparency and the cover-up before the recognition of human-to-human transmission and the lockdown, which is well described in this blog. We admire the conscientious work of Chinese scientists and the healthcare workforce in responding to the epidemic. However, we are concerned by the political response to the pandemic in many nations, including China, at the beginning of the outbreak. In responding to your blog on China, we feel compelled to remind readers of some important facts that strike us as essential for understanding and assessing the Chinese response to the epidemic, in Wuhan, before January 20th.