A Wuhan doctor who posted information about the new coronavirus on social media that was shared by the late whistle-blower Li Wenliang has broken her silence, saying she was muzzled by authorities for raising the alarm without their permission at the start of the outbreak.
It also coincided with President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Wuhan since the crisis began, during which he praised residents for their hard work and sacrifices. Ai told the magazine she alerted the hospital’s community health service centre and infectious disease control department immediately. Two days later, an official in charge of the hospital’s supervision department gave Ai a dressing down for “spreading rumours” – a reference to the photograph she had posted online.
“How could I refrain from discussions with my medical colleagues knowing that a new and significant virus had emerged? I followed my intuition as a doctor – so what mistakes did I make?”On New Year’s Day, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market near Ai’s hospital – thought to be where the virus originated – was ordered to close. But Ai said she had noticed a stream of pneumonia patients weeks before officials confirmed human-to-human transmission of the virus was possible.