China in Grief after Coronavirus Death of Doctor Wenliang who had Warned about Outbreak

New Delhi, February 7, 2020:

The Chinese doctor, Li Wenliang, who had tried to send out a warning about the deadly coronavirus, died after he contracted the virus while treating patients in the Wuhan Central Hospital, China.

Wenliang had issued a warning to fellow doctors on December 30, 2019 about the virus. He had asked his colleagues to wear protective clothing to avoid infection. However, following his warning, he was summoned to the Public Security Bureau where he was told to sign a letter.

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The letter had accused the China doctor of "making false comments" that had "severely disturbed the social order". According to reports, he was one of eight people who police said were being investigated for "spreading rumours." The local authorities had later apologized to Wenliang.

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Meanwhile, the death toll and the number of infections due to the Coronavirus outbreak continue to rise in China. On Friday, the number of deaths surpassed 600 and reached 636. The total number of confirmed cases has also crossed 31,000 as on Friday. According to reports, 41 people on board a cruise ship off Japan’s coast have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus.

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