May 26: Covid-19: leaders and doctors

When a Wuhan doctor tried to raise the alarm about a new virus, local leaders not only ignored his advice; they even silenced him, with disastrous consequences for the whole world.

Other places whose leaders also ignored or were slow to act on doctors' advice about Covid-19 now have a high number of deaths from the virus - e.g. Brazil, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Russia, the UK and the US.

But places whose leaders took doctors' advice seriously have had a low number of deaths - e.g. Australia, Hong Kong, Jordan, Macao, New Zealand, Taiwan and Vietnam.

A powerful lesson for world leaders: ignore doctors' advice at the peril of your people.