Residents of the Chinese city of Wuhan have not forgotten the doctor of the whistleblower who warned the world about COVID-19 before he himself died a year ago.
Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old Wuhan ophthalmologist at a local hospital, became a strong symbol of the first days of the outbreak before he was officially recognized. When he tried to sound the alarm, he was reprimanded by Chinese officials for “spreading rumors.”
“He was the first to tell us about the virus,” Li Pan, 24, of Wuhan, which owns an online store, told Reuters on Saturday.
“He must have thought the impact would be huge, but he sounded the alarm. He was very brave, “Li said.
The death of the doctor on February 7, 2020 caused both a huge public mourning and a rage of rage online. Zhong Nanshan, a well-known epidemiologist, cried about Li in an interview, calling him a “hero of China.”
But when President Xi Jinping honored the “heroes” of the “people’s war” against the virus in September, he said nothing about Li.
Life in Wuhan has largely resumed its pre-COVID pace, but locals say Li is still revered there.
Ji Penghui, a 34-year-old designer, admitted to Li that he woke him up early to the dangers of the virus. He said he hurried to stock up on masks before officials told the public something about it.
“The public strongly recognizes him and, personally, I think he should receive more official honors than be treated as what he has done is already in the past,” Ji said.