An explosive UK documentary has revealed undercover footage of Chinese medics admitting they were pressured by government officials to stay quiet about the contagiousness of the coronavirus.
The ITV investigation, which aired today, showed how some senior medics in Wuhan were forced to stay silent on the human-to-human transmission of the virus.
Health officials were aware the coronavirus was causing human death in December 2019, well ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations in late January 2020 when the world s most populous country was gearing up for extensive internal travel.
Chinese women dressed in traditional costume known as Hanfu tour the Forbidden City in Beijing, China(Getty / Kevin Frayer)
Medical professionals in Wuhan say they knew about virus deaths as early as December 2019, but it was mid-January before China first informed the WHO of a fatality.