Is there any accuracy to my belief that China caused this by arresting the doctors who were talking about this instead of investigating it? If so, are people in China aware of this? Do they see it as an issue?
Yes we do. But given how other countries are reacting to COVID19 after so many deaths “it is just the flu”, I imagine this thing would have played out the same if the doctor were not arrested.
Actually yes, the incident has had an unprecedented impact on the Internet. People have sharply criticized the actions of the Wuhan government and supported the doctor, and the central government has demanded an explanation from them. Finally, the Wuhan government also apologized. The whole incident is a lesson for China. If you want to know if people are aware of this or still be insensitive. I haven't done scientific statistics, but my 80 yr grandma told me that this doctor is a great man, we need to speak for him, and the government should apologize for it.