[ad_1]
WUHAN, CHINA (REUTERS) – A year after his death from Covid-19, residents of the Chinese city of Wuhan say they are grateful to the “whistleblower” doctor who first raised the alarm about the outbreak before he received the official recognition.
Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at a city hospital, became one of the most visible figures in the early days of the Wuhan outbreak when he tried to sound the alarm about his appearance, but was reprimanded by police for “spreading rumors “. .
The 34-year-old’s death from the virus on February 7 sparked a great deal of public mourning and rare expressions of anger online.
Several days later, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a renowned epidemiologist, shed tears for Dr. Li in an interview with Reuters, calling him a “hero of China.”
But when President Xi Jinping honored the “heroes” of the “people’s war” against the virus in September last year, Dr. Li’s contribution was not mentioned.
While people on the streets around Dr. Li’s hospital say that life in the city has for the most part returned to its usual rhythm, they still revere Dr. Li for his actions.
When Reuters reporters visited the area around the hospital on Saturday (February 6), they were followed by two men in plain clothes who identified themselves as “security in the hospital parking lot”, and local guards prevented a cameraman from filming the hospital entrance.
“He was the first to inform us about the virus,” said Li Pan, 24, an online store owner.
“He should have considered that the impact would be huge, but he still raised the alarm. That was really brave,” Ms. Li said.
Ji Penghui, a 34-year-old designer, said he heard about Dr. Li’s warning in the early days and was quick to stock up on masks before officials spoke openly about the virus.
“He is strongly recognized by the public and personally I think he should receive more official honors, instead of being treated like what he did is in the past,” said Ji.
Ji said the government made mistakes in the early stages, but has handled it well since then.
A team from the World Health Organization is currently in Wuhan investigating the early stages of the outbreak and is preparing to present its findings, team member Dr. Dominic Dwyer told Reuters on Friday.
The team visited Huanan’s sprawling seafood wholesale market, which is believed to be where the virus first became an outbreak, sparking a pandemic that has infected more than 105 million people and killed nearly 3 millions around the world.
The market site has been closed to the public since the beginning of last year.
The origins of the virus have become highly politicized, with some Chinese diplomats and state media endorsing theories that the virus potentially originated in another country.
While 80-year-old Qian Wende said he doesn’t know where the virus came from, he regards Dr. Li as a hero.
“We should commemorate his contribution to the fight against the pandemic.”
[ad_2]
