Chinese doctor who warned of virus outbreak has died

[BEIJING] The Chinese doctor who late last year issued an early warning about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan has died after falling ill, according to media reports and a person familiar with the matter.

Li Wenliang, who was reprimanded by police after warning colleagues about a new respiratory disease emerging in Wuhan had been admitted to a hospital in early January and later confirmed to have the coronavirus, according to a post on his social media account. The exact cause of death wasn't immediately known.

Li on Dec 30 posted in a social media group about a SARS-like illness that within weeks would explode into the coronavirus epidemic that has infected more than 25,000 people. Days after his warning, he was reprimanded by police for rumour-mongering online, and then later was given an apology, according to his social media account.

The death was reported earlier by the Global Times, a Chinese state-run media organisation, and other Chinese outlets. A person familiar with the situation confirmed Li's death to Bloomberg.

BLOOMBERG