Dylan Howard - COVID-19: The Greatest Cover-Up in History—From Wuhan to the White House

Copyright 2020 by Dylan Howard & Dominic Utton

Copyright 2020 Harland & Wolff Publishing, a division of Empire Media Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Jacket design by 5mediadesign

Jacket images: Shutterstock

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-6533-7

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6534-4

Printed in the United States of America

PRAISE FOR DYLAN HOWARD

A bloodhound reporter.

Los Angeles Times

Dylan Howard is the rare combination of cutting-edge journalist, true crime commentator, and relentless investigator.

Dr. Phil McGraw, host of TVs #1 daytime talk show, Dr. Phil

Renowned.

Nancy Grace

Big-name producer.

Vanity Fair

Howard is a throwback to an older age of journalism.

BuzzFeed

One of my favorite people in American media.

Anthony Scaramucci

When Dylan Howard focuses his attention to investigating a case, you can be sure he will uncover sensational new information that we, as readers, viewers or listeners, will find astonishing.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, New York Times bestselling author and TV and radio personality

Dylan Howard is one of the finest journalists writing today. His depth and breadth of experience are second to none; he follows every intricate angle of a story and exposes the truth. As a former detective, I know firsthand the skills that make an exceptional investigator and Dylan has them in spades.

Bo Dietl, former NYPD homicide detective

OTHER BOOKS BY DYLAN HOWARD

Epstein: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Aaron Hernandezs Killing Fields

Diana: Case Solved

The Last Charles Manson Tapes: Evil Lives Beyond the Grave

Billion Dollar Hollywood Heist

Royals at War

Bad: An Unprecedented Investigation into the

Michael Jackson Cover-Up

OTHER BOOKS BY DOMINIC UTTON

Fiction

Dead End Close

Martin Harbottles Appreciation of Time

Non-Fiction

How to Go Wild

The Real Football Factories: Shocking True Stories from the Worlds Hardest Football Fans

Sex Pistols: Uncensored on the Record

The definitive historical record of the first six months of the 2020 global coronavirus pandemicthe invisible and deadly enemy that would change the world forever. This unprecedented investigation reveals what government leaders and world medical agencies from Wuhan to the White House knew, when they knew it, how they covered it upand how shameless politicians and media titans have executed a war on the truth.

The faces of those on the COVID-19 front line around the world are usually obscured, masks pulled tight over the mouth and nose and behind the ears, eyes exposed to show the strain of harrowing realities.

Nurses look like heroes, because they are just that. They look like prisoners, too. But unlike the guilt of an inmate, these nameless nurses, doctors, and medical personnel are trapped in a world they never signed up for. They are saviors. They too are victims.

During this global crisis, the harrowing images we have seen show those on the front line tired and tireless, committed and conflicted. They are in an impossible spot and right where we need them as the world grapples with a seemingly overwhelming force.

They are the best of society, from the worst hit countries to those even with small outbreaks. These versatile people are in a complex profession, rushing to a disasters epicenter while the rest of us tiptoe through everyday life in a state of careful panic. What bravery they have. They are our silent soldiers, going to war for us each and every day. We will never be able to thank them enough.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

The heir to the British throne. A prime minister. A grand chancellor. Award-winning actors. An NBA superstar. Elected leaders. TV hosts.

They are among the millions who have tested positive for the coronavirus as it has spread around the world. Many of the famous figures, by going public with their diagnoses, have helped put a face to the virus, sharing updates via social media and giving interviews about their symptoms.

On the other side of the world, ground zero for the COVID-19 outbreak, it is a vastly different storycensorship, lies, and ignorance have killed thousands, even as the predictions about the coronavirus catastrophe grow more ominous by the minute.

At least, thats the narrative were fed. The truth, as you will see over the following pages, is less black-and-white, less East-and-West.

Despite the best efforts of countries enacting emergency action plans to contain the disease, its spread continues at a worrying rate. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts a future of pain. It says the virus poses a greater global threat than terrorism.

Their figures are terrifying. Professor Gabriel Leung, who led the fight against the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory System) virus, believes 60 percent of the worlds population could become infected with COVID-19 and that up to 45 million people might die from it. As we write, in June 2020, six months into the pandemic, some 8.5 million have been infected, and nearly half a million killed. Thats roughly 2,700 lives lost every single day of 2020 so far.

But could it have been avoided? It most certainly could have been contained beyond the devastation facing the world if one man had been listened to.

Dr. Li Wenliang, of Wuhan Central Hospital, was the whistleblower. In December, he had been told by police officers in China not to spread fake rumors after alerting his friends to a new emerging virus. On February 7, 2020, that same virus tragically took his life.

His death sparked a wave of anger, grief, and overwhelming sense of mistrust toward the government. It also exposed the great cover-up of China, in which Beijing punished the informer, claimed US troops started it, and is still lying about death and infection figures.

China is not the only nation whose government is lying.

The fault for the most catastrophic pandemic to hit our species in living memorythe impact of which will be felt for generations to come and across all levels of societydoes not lie solely with Beijing. And neither does the cover-up. As you will read, governments in the West, specifically those of the United States and the United Kingdom, have blood on their hands toothrough arrogance, through complacency, through fear of looking foolish, through stupidity, and through greed.

What lessons can be learned? The life and death of Li Wenliang is a critical reminder of the need to speak truth to power. Whistleblowers like Dr. Li demonstrate guts and integrity when so many go with the flow or look out for number one. He was one brave doctor who tried to warn the world, was silenced through coercion, yet was still able to make a difference in the most inspiring of ways even as he lay on his deathbed.