‘A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its boots on.” That statement, often attributed to Mark Twain, is especially true in the 21st century. In today’s age of social media it has unfortunately become normal to see false information reach a broad audience instantaneously.

It is bad enough when conspiracy-theory cranks spread dangerous misinformation around the world. It is far worse, and more dangerous, when malign misinformation is spread by a government’s officials, And that is exactly what the People’s Republic of China has been doing, spreading false accusations about the origin and spread of the coronavirus.

The facts about Covid-19 are undisputed. The outbreak originated in the city of Wuhan in China’s Hubei province. The government of