Dr. Li Wenliang, the first to warn about the presence of coronavirus in China, died of the virus on Friday, February 7, 2020. The Chinese doctor was just 34, and his death sparked public outcry globally. (1)

The Spread of Coronavirus

While this new disease is often referred to as “coronavirus”, coronaviruses are actually a family of viruses. They include the common cold and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). An outbreak of SARS killed 10% of the people infected during an outbreak in 2002. (2, 3)

This new virus is considered a novel coronavirus, as it hasn’t been detected in humans before. It is officially referred to as “2019-nCoV”. Little is known about it, and medical researchers are scrambling to learn as much as possible and find a cure. (2)

Coronaviruses are passed between animals and people. Common symptoms include respiratory issues, cough, fever, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. In more serious cases, an infection can cause severe acute respiratory syndrome, pneumonia, kidney failure, and even death. (2)

Experts believe that this new coronavirus began in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan. Wuhan is a city in central China with a population of 11 million. As of February 8, 2020, there were 34,800 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Asia. And 725 people have died from the infection. (4)

Chinese Doctor Tries to Warn Others

In December 2019, Dr. Li, an ophthalmologist, noted seven cases of a virus that resembled SARS in his patients. Concerned, he sent a message to a chat group of fellow doctors on December 30th. He warned them to wear protective clothing while treating patients. (5)

Four days later, officials called him to the Public Security Bureau. The police forced him to sign a letter that accused him of “making false comments” that “severely disturbed the social order”. Dr. Li was one of eight people under investigation for “spreading rumors”. (5)

Whistleblower Infected with Coronavirus

On January 10, Dr. Li began exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus. He was coughing and developed a fever the next day. Two days later, he was admitted to the hospital. China declared the coronavirus outbreak an emergency on January 20, 2020. Dr. Li received an official diagnosis of coronavirus on January 30th. (5)

While in the hospital, Dr. Li took to Chinese social media site Weibo to share his story. The New York Times also interviewed him via the social media platform WeChat over January 30th and February 1st. (1, 5)

When asked by the New York Times about being forced to sign the letter that accused him of disturbing the social order, Dr. Li said, “I felt I was being wronged, but I had to accept it. Obviously I had been acting out of goodwill. I felt very sad seeing so many people losing their loved ones.” (1)

Dr. Li believed that the outbreak could have been limited with more transparency from the Chinese government. “If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier, I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency,” he told the Times. (1)

He hoped to make a full recovery and work to help fight the disease. He said, “It will take me another 15 days or so to recover. I will join medical workers in fighting the epidemic. That’s where my responsibilities lie.” (1)

But that was not to be. On February 7, the hospital treating Dr. Li reported that he had died. His death inspired grief and outrage on social media. Many commenters demanded an apology from the Chinese government to his family. Dr. Li was the father of a four-year-old, with another child due in June. (1)

What’s Happening Now?

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus continues to rise. There are reported cases in 25 countries, although only two deaths have occurred outside of mainland China. (4, 5)

Several countries, including the United States, are restricting travel from China to try to avoid a pandemic. After closing off Wuhan, China has continued to issue restrictions to its citizens to keep the disease from spreading. And the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency. It is unclear how big the outbreak could become or how far it could spread. (4, 5)