Chinese Doctor Who Raised Alarm Over Coronavirus Dies

Doctor Li Wenliang, who first drew attention to the dangers of a new type of coronavirus, died Thursday from the illness in a hospital in Wuhan, China.

According to local sources, Li sent a message to colleagues in his medical school alumni group in December last year warning that seven people had been quarantined at Wuhan General Hospital with a respiratory illness similar to the SARS coronavirus.

But police in Wuhan forced him to sign a letter admitting that he was “making false comments.”

On Jan. 12, Li was hospitalized after contracting the virus from one of his patients and was confirmed to have the coronavirus on Feb. 1.

The World Health Organization (WHO) offered its condolences on Twitter.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Li Wenliang. We all need to celebrate the work that he did on the coronavirus,” it said. (AA)