“When the coronavirus outbreak began in China, government officials there initially sought to deny that there was any public health issue.

“One doctor in Wuhan, the Chinese city hardest hit, noticed early warning signs of a potential epidemic, but was confronted by police and pressured to keep quiet.

“Eventually, after aggressive quarantine efforts by the government, the number of new cases in China peaked, but doubts remain as to how reliable China’s official figures are.

“Now, as COVID-19, the new coronavirus that first appeared in Wuhan, spreads to other countries – including South Korea, Iran and Italy – public health officials in New York are bracing for the worst.”

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