The coverup is such an important part of why SARS turned out so bad. It mutated after the initial outbreak from a relatively benign virus to a much more deadly

The coverup is such an important part of why SARS turned out so bad. It mutated after the initial outbreak from a relatively benign virus to a much more deadly variety. (The longer the outbreak lasts and the more people are infected, the more likely such a mutation is) This time the Chinese government has been much more open (relatively), and the virus has been identified at a much earlier stage. I'd be pretty optimistic if it weren't for the Lunar New Year holiday, which could really screw up the efforts to contain the spread.