Originally Posted by
iahphx
China lost time because it didn't know what was going on and the authorities initially wanted to downplay the problem (as authorities, especially in authoritarian states, are often inclined to do).
Not just China ... downplaying the problem ... this is exactly what the US government is doing right now. At least the Chinese government eventually realized they made a mistake by hiding the severity. Not sure what it takes for our leaders here to get to that point.