The Chinese media were not allowed to cover the virus. The Chinese were in denial of it and the west only got the information we knew from China. The Chinese government didn't have to get elected did they? The Chinese had to be quiet or lose big personally. Even though it hurt the country in the end, generally speaking a Chinese person lost more if that one tried to warn others in the end.

Theoretically it is really bad. Experts are saying its really bad. Time will tell if this means the housing crash you were praying for really comes.