At the end of January, long before the world understood that seemingly healthy people could spread the coronavirus, a doctor in Germany tried to sound the alarm. Today, we look at why that warning was unwelcome.

Guests: Matt Apuzzo, an investigative reporter for The New York Times based in Brussels.

Dr. Camilla Rothe, an infectious disease specialist at Munich University Hospital.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

Background reading: 

• At the end of March, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that as many as 25 percent of those infected by the coronavirus may not show symptoms.
• Some scientists have criticized the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying its statements and advice sometimes lag behind research.