The novel coronavirus has a firm grip on the world. At the time of writing, there have been over a whopping 31,480 cases and over 600 deaths.
As we speak, over two dozen countries have been stricken with the deadly virus and have been forced to implement measures to try to curb the spread.
And while we sit in our offices and at home trying to keep ourselves safe from its wrath, medical professionals all over the world are fighting at the forefront.
They’re basically one of our first lines of defence despite the risks and sacrifice that that responsibility entails.
This doctor is no exception:
Doctor Who First Discovered & Tried To Warn Colleagues About Wuhan Virus Outbreak Dies
According to The Straits Times, a Chinese doctor who was one of the first to tell the public about the coronavirus outbreak has passed away from the virus today.
He was an ophthalmologist named Li Wenliang, and his death in Wuhan Central Hospital at 2.58am was confirmed on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Much controversy surrounded his condition and eventual death. For one, Wuhan Hospital said in a Weibo post at 12.45am that they were trying their best to save Dr Li who was in critical condition.
However, New York Times had reported that Dr Li had already died earlier, without stating clear sources.
According to the New York Times, he had earlier tried to warn his colleagues about the frightening cases of pneumonia that seemed to be similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Unfortunately, his cries were in vain as health officials lambasted his claims.
Dr Li had told the New York Times, “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.”
This happened amidst criticism against the Chinese government about their lacklustre response towards the initial spread of the virus in Wuhan.
The doctor has a child, and his wife is pregnant with their second child due in summer 2020. We offer our condolences to his family.
