Even when it wasn't hushed up the world knew there was no cure and still kept air travel open to China which let the genie out of the bottle. The UK tracked the first few cases from China and then Italy and then it was out in the community so it was by then too late. The UK was no different from the rest of the world though in letting this virus spread. Maybe if the virus had started in some West African state there would have been more of a response to halt travel but China was too powerful.