Falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after; so that when men come to be undeceived it is too late: the jest is over and the tale has had its effect. – Jonathan Swift (1710)

Reports are circulating now (April 2, 2020) that the Covid-19 virus was noticed in Wuhan a month before local authorities finally informed the national government, which then declared the emergency to the world and undertook drastic measures to contain the outbreak starting on January 23, 2020. Doctors in Italy also say they noted unusually severe cases of pneumonia in the autumn of 2019. There is a large number of Chinese garment factory workers who travel between Italy and China, so this could have been the source of infection. It seems only sensible to assume that the virus was circulating for a few weeks or months before it was noticed as a unique threat. However, no…