What actions did China take when outbreak began?

The US and other countries have raised questions about whether China was fully transparent when the virus first emerged there.

So what do we know about what happened in China, and what did it say and do about the outbreak?

Here’s our timeline:

1 December – The first onset of symptoms are observed, according to the Lancet.

However, it’s believed the virus first appeared some time in November.

27 December – Chinese authorities are told about a Sars-like disease by a doctor in a provincial hospital in Hubei province.

By this point, cases are multiplying.

30 December – The health commission in Wuhan notifies local hospitals of a “pneumonia of unclear cause”, and asks them to report any related information of suspicious cases in the past week.

Ai Fen, a leading doctor at Wuhan Central hospital, receives medical results from a patient with a suspected coronavirus.

Dr Ai takes a photo of the results and sends it to another doctor in the area. It circulates among the medical community in Wuhan.

Reports spread on Chinese social media Weibo of a “mysterious pneumonia”, raising fears of a deadly virus.

31 December – Chinese officials confirm they are investigating 27 cases of viral pneumonia and dispatch a team of health experts to the region.

Authorities say seven are in a critical condition yet no human-to-human transmission has been identified.

The authorities alert the World Health Organization (WHO).

1 January – A hospital in Wuhan posts on the Chinese social media platform WeChat that they are “fighting a mysterious pneumonia”.

Dr Ai Fen says she is reprimanded by a hospital disciplinary committee for “spreading rumours”.

The Wuhan Public Security Bureau detains eight people for spreading rumours about the virus, reporting it on a Chinese news programme, Xinwen Lianbo, a show watched by millions.

The WHO puts itself on an emergency footing to deal with a potential outbreak.

Chinese authorities shut down Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, t