It is certainly reasonable to view China with some skepticism. But we need to have some separation between the things we know about and the thing we know we don't know about.
We know the following:
On Dec. 31, WHO officials in China were informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause that were detected in the central city of Wuhan, where a “novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)” was identified on Jan. 7, the agency said.
We know we are still learning about the virus.
We know it is a pandemic.
We have reason to believe from practices in Japan, South Korea and China that, for now, the strategy of widespread testing and isolation has yielded positive results. Not just China.
We know that China has the ability to mandate and enforce rules with severity.
We know something about what is happening, in general, on the ground in China. We have many non-Chinese and non-governmental news sources of people on the ground who are able to directly observe the big picture. Yes, the Chinese can keep an isolated secret, but just like with ecological disasters and human rights violations, the big picture is no longer easy to hide. Especially when so many eyes are focused on just that.
So if China tries to muzzle a few doctors, then I know they are ready, willing, and able to do that. But I have no reason to believe that if thousands of people all over China are falling seriously ill or dropping dead, they are able to keep the lid on it. I have two friends who work at a hospital in Beijing. And many of us have more dealings and travel to China than you'd think.
So yes, be skeptical but remain prudent and cautious about the things we know we are dealing with.
Now it comes time to reflect a little bit on how much trust we put in our own government. I wish I could say I have full confidence that the pronouncements that our government officials make adhere to the truth and are absent of malice. But I have abundant reason to believe that is not the case.