Ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital who warned colleagues of the coronavirus outbreak
Official Wuhan Public Security Bureau admonition letter signed by Dr. Li Wenliang with his red thumbprint on 3 January 2020.
e warned medical school classmates about seven SARS cases in Wuhan. Three days later police made him sign a confession.1
On December 30, 2019, Dr. Li Wenliang saw a lab report showing a SARS coronavirus in Wuhan Central Hospital.
At 5:48 p.m. he messaged his medical alumni group so fellow doctors would wear protective gear.
On January 3, 2020, Wuhan police summoned him and accused him of disturbing social order with false rumors.
Asked if he could stop illegal acts, he wrote two words on the police form: Yes, I can.
Ordered to treat patients without protection, he contracted the virus from an infected glaucoma patient in January.
From his intensive care bed he posted his signed police reprimand online, and on February 7 he died at thirty-four.
“A healthy society should not have only one voice.”
They silenced eight doctors to keep the city calm. Within weeks, eleven million people were locked inside.