Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Chinese Doctor Who Was One Of First To Warn About Coronavirus Outbreak Dies, Sparking Rare Online Revolt
The New York Times: Chinese Doctor, Silenced After Warning Of Outbreak, Dies From Coronavirus
He was the doctor who tried to sound a warning that a troubling cluster of viral infections in a Chinese province could grow out of control — and was then summoned for a middle-of-the-night reprimand over his candor. On Friday, the doctor, Li Wenliang, died after contracting the very illness he had told medical school classmates about in an online chat room, the coronavirus. He joined the more than 600 other Chinese who have died in an outbreak that has now spread across the globe. Dr. Li “had the misfortune to be infected during the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, and all-out efforts to save him failed,” the Wuhan City Central Hospital said on Weibo, the Chinese social media service. “We express our deep regret and condolences.” (Buckley, 2/6)
The New York Times: A Rare Online Revolt Emerges In China Over Death Of Coronavirus Whistle-Blower
They posted videos of the Les Misérables song, “Do You Hear the People Sing.” They invoked article No. 35 of China’s Constitution, which stipulates freedom of speech. They tweeted lines from a poem, “For whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” The Chinese public have staged what amounts to an online revolt after the death of a doctor, Li Wenliang, who tried to warn of a mysterious virus that has since killed hundreds of people in China, infected tens of thousands and forced the government to corral many of the country’s 1.4 billion people. (Yuan, 2/7)
Reuters: 'Light A Candle': Death Of Chinese Doctor Sparks Mourning, Anger
News of Li's death became the top top-read topic on China's microblogging site Weibo overnight on Friday, with over 1.5 billion views, and was also heavily discussed in private WeChat messaging groups, where people expressed outrage and sadness. Some Chinese media outlets described him as a "hero who was willing to speak the truth" while other commentators posted poems, photos and drawings saluting him. The World Health Organization said on Twitter that it was "deeply saddened" by news of his death. (2/7)
The Wall Street Journal: In China, Anger Simmers Over Coronavirus Doctor’s Death
China’s National Supervisory Commission, the country’s top anticorruption body, said Friday that it would send a special team to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, to investigate the circumstances around Dr. Li’s death. The Wuhan municipal government, meanwhile, published a notice on its website Friday to pay tribute to Dr. Li, expressing profound sorrow and conveying condolences to his family. The National Health Commission and the health commissions of Wuhan and Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, issued similar statements. (Cheng, 2/7)
Los Angeles Times: Dr. Li Wenliang Was Arrested For Warning China About The Coronavirus. Then He Died From It
“It’s not so important to me if I’m vindicated or not,” Li, 34, said in an interview from a quarantine room with Chinese publication Caixin. “What’s more important is that everyone knows the truth.” (Su, 2/6)
NBC News: Chinese Doctor Who Raised Alarm Over Coronavirus Dies From Disease, Hospital Confirms
The World Health Organization also tweeted Thursday that it was "deeply saddened" by Li's death. In response to a question during a WHO news conference Thursday, Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the agency's Health Emergencies Program, said: “We should celebrate his life and mourn his death with his colleagues." (Austin, 2/7)
