A Chinese doctor who attempted to warn the public about the deadly coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, has died after contracting the mystery illness, according to local reports.
Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, posted, “Seven cases of SARS confirmed,” to the social media platform WeChat on Dec. 30, 2019, and was subsequently punished by the Chinese government for his actions. He later contracted the illness himself.
Li was forced to sign a letter of criticism for his actions weeks before the epidemic infected tens of thousands in mainland China. The coronavirus death toll climbed above 500 people on Wednesday as the United States scrambled to bring home Americans still in China.
“We solemnly warn you: If you keep being stubborn, with such impertinence, and continue this illegal activity, you will be brought to justice,” read the document that Li was forced to sign.
The true scale of infections and deaths in China remains a mystery. A funeral worker in Wuhan claimed hundreds of bodies were being cremated per day and that staff was working around the clock to process the wave of victims.
Sen. Tom Cotton has warned that the situation in China is worse than reported and noted that China’s only super laboratory dedicated to investigating such deadly pathogens as coronavirus is located in Wuhan.
