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Chinese Doctor, Silenced After Warning of Outbreak, Dies From Coronavirus Chinese Doctor, Silenced After Warning of Outbreak, Dies From Coronavirus
(about 2 hours later)
WUHAN, China — A doctor in central China who was among the first to warn about the coronavirus outbreak, only to be silenced by the authorities, died early Friday after himself becoming infected with the virus, the hospital treating him reported. WUHAN, China — He was the doctor who tried to sound a warning that a troubling cluster of viral infections in a Chinese province could grow out of control — and was then summoned for a middle-of-the-night reprimand over his candor.
The Wuhan City Central Hospital said the doctor, Li Wenliang, 34, had died at 2:58 a.m. On Friday, the doctor, Li Wenliang, died after contracting the very illness he had told medical school classmates about in an online chat room, the coronavirus. He joined the hundreds of other Chinese who have died in an outbreak that has now spread across the globe.
Dr. Li “had the misfortune to be infected during the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, and all-out efforts to save him failed,” the hospital said on its official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service. “We express our deep regret and condolences.” Dr. Li “had the misfortune to be infected during the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, and all-out efforts to save him failed,” the Wuhan City Central Hospital said on Weibo, the Chinese social media service. “We express our deep regret and condolences.”
Just hours earlier, the hospital had said it was still fighting to save Dr. Li. Even before his death, Dr. Li had become a hero to many Chinese after word of his treatment at the hands of the authorities emerged. In early January, he was called in by both medical officials and the police, and forced to sign a statement denouncing his warning as an unfounded and illegal rumor.
Dr. Li’s death came after a night of speculation about his fate, including an outpouring of online grief in China prompted by premature reports that he had died. Word of his death unleashed an even greater upsurge of emotion.
The confirmation of his death unleashed an even greater upsurge of emotion. Many comments under the hospital’s announcement accused the authorities of having sought to prolong Dr. Li’s life until deep in the night. “We will not forgot the doctor who spoke up about an illness that was called rumor,” one commenter posted in reply to the hospital’s announcement. “What else can we do? The only thing is not to forget.”
“We will not forgot the doctor who spoke up about an illness that was called rumor,” said one commenter. “What else can we do? The only thing is not to forget.” Dr. Li, who was 34 and expecting a second child with his wife, had been a relatively obscure ophthalmologist in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province and the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic.
Dr. Li had been a relatively obscure ophthalmologist in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province where the coronavirus epidemic took hold. But in recent weeks, he became a powerful icon for Chinese people angry that a viral outbreak had swelled unchecked into a full-blown crisis, and that the doctor who had tried to ring the alarm was initially punished.
Updated Feb. 5, 2020Updated Feb. 5, 2020
But in recent weeks, he became a potent icon for Chinese people angry that a viral outbreak had swelled unchecked into a full-blown crisis, and that the doctor who had spoken out was initially punished.
His death poses a singularly delicate issue for the Chinese government. Even as officials have battled the epidemic, they have also tried to stifle widespread criticism that they mismanaged their response to the initial outbreak in Wuhan, a city of 11 million.His death poses a singularly delicate issue for the Chinese government. Even as officials have battled the epidemic, they have also tried to stifle widespread criticism that they mismanaged their response to the initial outbreak in Wuhan, a city of 11 million.
In recent days, China has stepped up censorship after a rush of online criticism and investigative reports by emboldened Chinese journalists who have exposed missteps by officials who underestimated and underplayed the threat of the coronavirus. In recent days, China stepped up censorship after a rush of online criticism and investigative reports by emboldened Chinese journalists exposed missteps by officials who underestimated and underplayed the threat of the coronavirus.
Soon after Dr. Li’s death was announced, the Hubei Province Health Commission issued a brief message offering condolences, and so did the health authorities of the city of Wuhan. Global Times, a reliably pro-government tabloid, also mourned the death, while also urging readers to stay united with the government’s fight against the epidemic. Dr. Li’s death has also exposed a troubling aspect of the epidemic that goes unmentioned in official statistics: the number of doctors, nurses and medical workers infected by the virus.
“That Li Wenliang could not escape having his life snatched away shows that this is an arduous and complex battle,” an online article in the Global Times said. “At this critical juncture, all of us must be united.” Some unverified pictures of what appear to be government data have indicated that hundreds of hospital workers may have been infected in Wuhan. Earlier in the outbreak, a prominent infectious disease expert said that a single patient had infected 14 medical workers at one hospital.
The New York Times wrote about Dr. Li on Feb. 1, documenting his efforts to alert colleagues about an alarming cluster of illnesses that resembled Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, an earlier coronavirus that ravaged China nearly two decades ago. Dr. Li was also unusually young to be afflicted by the virus, at least according to the data gathered so far. The median of patients is between 49 and 56, researchers say.
The article also reported Dr. Li’s middle-of-the-night summons by unhappy health officials. When Dr. Li posted his chat room warning on Dec. 30, the new coronavirus had not yet been identified. He said it resembled Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, an earlier coronavirus that ravaged China nearly two decades ago.
“If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier,” Dr. Li told The Times. “I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency.” Not long after his reprimand, Dr. Li was vindicated as thousands of Wuhan residents fell ill with fever and pneumonia symptoms. He joined their number after contracting the virus from a patient he was treating for glaucoma.
Early reports of Dr. Li’s death, before the hospital said he was still alive, set off an outpouring of messages on the Chinese internet. The messages lionized him as a hero who stood up to officials trying to play down a medical threat that came to engulf Wuhan, spill across China and ignite an international health crisis. Dr. Li’s death came after a night of speculation about his fate, including an online outpouring of grief in China prompted by premature reports that he had died. Just hours before confirming that he had died, the hospital said on Weibo that it was still fighting to save him.
After the hospital said doctors were still trying to save Dr. Li, people began posting comments of support. The doctor has one child, and he and his wife are expecting a second in the summer.
“Not sleeping!!! Waiting online for a miracle,” said one commenter under the hospital’s statement on Weibo. “We don’t need to sleep tonight, but Li Wenliang must rise.”“Not sleeping!!! Waiting online for a miracle,” said one commenter under the hospital’s statement on Weibo. “We don’t need to sleep tonight, but Li Wenliang must rise.”
Dr. Li’s death appeared unlikely to inspire protests in Wuhan, which has been under lockdown for just over two weeks in an unprecedented effort to extinguish the epidemic. In Wuhan and other heavily restricted areas of Hubei, residents mostly stay inside their and avoid socializing for fear of catching the virus. When the announcement came that he had died, many comments accused the authorities of having sought to prolong Dr. Li’s life until deep into the night.
Soon after Dr. Li’s death was announced, the Hubei Province Health Commission issued a brief message offering condolences, and so did the health authorities of the city of Wuhan. Global Times, a reliably pro-government tabloid, also mourned the death, while also urging readers to support the government’s fight against the epidemic.
“That Li Wenliang could not escape having his life snatched away shows that this is an arduous and complex battle,” an online article in Global Times said. “At this critical juncture, all of us must be united.”
The New York Times wrote about Dr. Li this month, in an article detailing the government’s many missteps in handling the crisis.
“If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier,” Dr. Li told The Times. “I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency.”
Dr. Li’s death appeared unlikely to inspire protests in Wuhan, which has been under lockdown for just over two weeks in an unprecedented effort to extinguish the epidemic. In Wuhan and other heavily restricted areas of Hubei, residents mostly stay inside their homes and avoid socializing for fear of catching the virus.
Much of the rest of China is also under tight restrictions that make mass displays of mourning unlikely.Much of the rest of China is also under tight restrictions that make mass displays of mourning unlikely.
In early January, Dr. Li was questioned by hospital officials and the police after he warned a circle of medical school classmates about a viral outbreak that he said appeared similar to SARS. The police forced him to sign a statement denouncing his warning as an unfounded and illegal rumor. Dr. Li continued to speak out during his own illness.
Dr. Li was soon vindicated as more and more Wuhan residents fell ill with fever and pneumonia symptoms. They eventually grew to over 10,000 — and Dr. Li joined their number after contracting the virus from a patient he was treating for glaucoma. He had not been wearing special protective gear.
“I think a healthy society should not have just one voice,” he recently told Caixin, a Chinese magazine that has reported aggressively on the epidemic.“I think a healthy society should not have just one voice,” he recently told Caixin, a Chinese magazine that has reported aggressively on the epidemic.
In recent interviews, Dr. Li had sounded hopeful about overcoming the illness and going back to work. And, at least recently, Dr. Li sounded hopeful about overcoming the illness and going back to work.
“After I recover, I still want to return to the front line,” he told The Southern Metropolis Daily, a Chinese newspaper. “The epidemic is still spreading, and I don’t want to be a deserter.”“After I recover, I still want to return to the front line,” he told The Southern Metropolis Daily, a Chinese newspaper. “The epidemic is still spreading, and I don’t want to be a deserter.”
Additional reporting by Vivian Wang in New York. Elsie Chen contributed research from Wuhan. Li Yuan and Cao Li contributed reporting from Hong Kong. Claire Fu, Wang Yiwei and Amber Wang contributed research from Beijing. Reporting was contributed by Li Yuan and Cao Li in Hong Kong, and Vivian Wang in New York. Research was contributed by Elsie Chen in Wuhan, and Claire Fu, Wang Yiwei and Amber Wang in Beijing.