Coronavirus

The problem is some people might be infected but have no symptoms. The British man on honeymoon fell into this category. No one would have known he had the virus until he was tested.

Well, exactly. This thing is contagious if you're in contact with an infected person. Not everyone who looks or even is Chinese has been in China recently, if ever (some may be of Chinese descent but were born elsewhere), and even those who were in China weren't necessarily in areas that are affected. Not to mention that I'm sure there were a great many people who AREN'T Chinese and HAVE been in China recently, maybe even in the affected areas.

I'm sure some people are backing away from anyone who looks Chinese, conveniently ignoring the fact that the common old 'flu is more of a health hazard here at present! The jury is still out on exactly where it started:

sciencespeaksblog.org/2020/01/25/wuhan-coronavirus-2019-ncov-qa-6-an-evidence-based-hypothesis

I agree Megs36.
The mentality of some is bewildering.

EV was it perhaps a Russian plot?

I don't think it originated in China.