WUHAN, China (Reuters) - A year after his death from COVID-19, residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan say they remain grateful to the “whistleblower” doctor who first sounded the alarm about the outbreak before it received official recognition.
The 34-year-old’s death from the virus on Feb. 7 led to an outpouring of public mourning and rare expressions of anger online.
Several days later Zhong Nanshan, a renowned epidemiologist, shed tears for Li in an interview with Reuters, calling him a “hero of China.”.
But when President Xi Jinping honoured the “heroes” of the “people’s war” against the virus in September, there was no mention of Li’s contribution.
“He was the first to tell us about the virus,” said Li Pan, 24, who owns an online store.
Ji said the government made mistakes in the early stages, but it has handled it well since.
While 80-year-old Qian Wende said he does not know where the virus came from, he regards Li as a hero. »
