Sir, – On February 7th, 2020, Wuhan Central Hospital confirmed the death of Dr Li Wenliang, the 34-year-old eye specialist who was the first to raise the alarm about a cluster of Sars-like cases of pneumonia that appeared in his hospital in late December 2019.
Within days of posting his warning on the Chinese social platform, Weibo, Li was warned by Chinese officials that he would be brought to justice if he continued to share “false information” and disturb the social order.
In early January 2020, Li contracted Covid-19 from an asymptomatic patient.
Shortly before he died, Li 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.”
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In September 2020, Li’s name was omitted from the official list of national heroes in the fight against Covid-19 in China.
A year after his death, we should remember Dr Li Wenliang’s brave efforts to protect his patients, his colleagues, his country, and us. – Yours, etc,
Prof CHRIS FITZPATRICK,
Consultant Obstetrician
and Gynaecologist,
Coombe Women & Infants
University Hospital,
Dublin 8.