This Chinese doctor tried to save lives, but was silenced. Now he has coronavirus

CNN ^ | Updated 8:15 AM ET, Tue February 4, 2020 | Yong Xiong and Nectar Gan, CNN

[Zhang Fei]

On December 30, Li Wenliang dropped a bombshell in his medical school alumni group on the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat: seven patients from a local seafood market had been diagnosed with a SARS-like illness and quarantined in his hospital.

Li explained that, according to a test he had seen, the illness was a coronavirus -- a large family of viruses that includes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Memories of SARS run deep in China, where a pandemic in 2003 killed hundreds following a government cover up. "I only wanted to remind my university classmates to be careful," he said.

Li, a 34-year-old doctor working in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, told his friends to warn their loved ones privately. But within hours screenshots of his messages had gone viral -- without his name being blurred. "When I saw them circulating online, I realized that it was out of my control and I would probably be punished," Li said.

He was right.

Soon after he posted the message, Li was accused of rumor-mongering by the Wuhan police. He was one of several medics targeted by police for trying to blow the whistle on the deadly virus in the early weeks of the outbreak. The virus has since claimed at least 425 lives and sickened more than 20,000 people globally -- including Li.

From an intensive care bed in hospital, Li told CNN he was confirmed Saturday to have contracted the virus.

His diagnosis has sparked outrage across China, where a backlash is growing against state censorship around the illness and an initial delay in warning the public about the deadly virus.

Summoned by the police

On the same day in December that Li messaged his friends, an emergency notice was issued by

[RummyChick]

Buddha prayers for a man fighting for his life who tried to do right

[elpadre]

was he purposely infected??? The Chinese have a background of doing such

[ClearCase_guy]

He was one of several medics targeted by police for trying to blow the whistle on the deadly virus … From an intensive care bed in hospital, Li told CNN he was confirmed Saturday to have contracted the virus.

"Hold that bastard down while I get this syringe ready …"

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[Balding_Eagle]

CNN complaining about censorship? Haha

[null and void]

Godspeed, Dr. Li, thank you for trying.

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[Bob434]

well with only a 2% fatality rate, according to stats right now- He’ll likely recover just fine

[353FMG]

Buddha is closed for prayers.

[DannyTN]

More likely he didn’t take sufficient precautions because he was involved in treating the sick before they knew what it was.

[Chad_the_Impaler]

Chinese authorities are now spraying some chemicals in cities across China.

[Zhang Fei]

[Chinese authorities are now spraying some chemicals in cities across China.]

---

Mustard gas or sarin?

[GOPJ]

His diagnosis has sparked outrage across China, where a backlash is growing against state censorship around the illness and an initial delay in warning the public about the deadly virus.

Prayers for the good doctor and the decent Chinese citizens defending him against a corrupt state...

[Chad_the_Impaler]

White mist being sprayed from white trucks.

[Ozark Tom]

Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles in a water suspension?

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Howard_Foster/publication/51080259_Photocatalytic_disinfection_using_titanium_dioxide_Spectrum_and_mechanism_of_antimicrobial_activity/links/53d664400cf220632f3d9e2c/Photocatalytic-disinfection-using-titanium-dioxide-Spectrum-and-mechanism-of-antimicrobial-activity.pdf

[Blue Highway]

Since it's in Asian country like China wouldn't ricin be most appropriate?

[Zhang Fei]

[Since it’s in Asian country like China wouldn’t ricin be most appropriate? ]

---

LOL

[Zhang Fei]

[White mist being sprayed from white trucks. ]

---

Thanks. Meanwhile, a single undertaker in Wuhan is dealing with 100 body bags a day. The associated crematorium is running 24/7:

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3813715/posts

[corkoman]

Interesting. Nice catch i think you are on to something. Thanks for posting that.