Wife of Covid ‘martyr’ and Wuhan whistleblower gives birth, calls newborn his final gift

The widow of Chinese doctor and whistleblower Li Wenliang, who was subjected to an investigation for raising alarm about the coronavirus, delivered their second child Friday.

File photo | Dr Li Wenliang, who died of the novel coronavirus | Wikimedia Commons

New Delhi: The wife of the late Chinese doctor and whistleblower Li Wenliang, who was among the first ones to raise an alarm about the coronavirus, delivered their child, a baby boy, Friday.

Li died of the coronavirus in February, following which his wife Fu Xuejie, who was pregnant with their second child, suffered from serious blood pressure-related issues.

On Friday, she shared the baby’s image on WeChat, an instant messaging app, and described the newborn as the “final gift” from her late husband.

“Husband, can you see this from heaven? You have given me your final gift today. I will of course love and protect them,” she posted while sharing the image.

Ophthalmologist who noticed cases of SARS-like virus

Li was an ophthalmologist at a hospital in China’s Wuhan. It was Wuhan that first reported a coronavirus outbreak, which eventually spread to other parts of the country and the world.

Some time in December, Li sent a message to fellow doctors saying he had noticed several cases of a virus, which he thought looked like SARS — an epidemic which first emerged in 2003. He also warned the doctors to wear protective gear to avoid getting infected. His message soon went viral, and received a lot of traction.

However, only days later, he was told by the Chinese police to “stop making false comments” and was subject to an investigation along with eight other doctors for “spreading rumours”.

In the weeks following his warning, the virus had become a full-blown epidemic and mass quarantine was declared in the city of Wuhan.

Li subsequently contracted the coronavirus from a patient and shared his experiences on social media. He passed away in February.

Authorities apologised for ‘shortcomings and deficiencies’

Li’s death sent shockwaves across the country, with many accusing the Chinese government of censorship as well as downplaying the seriousness of the virus.

Chinese authorities later apologised to Li’s family for the “shortcomings and deficiencies” in their response.

Along with 13 other health workers, Li was then given the title of a “martyr” in April by the authorities. As a result, it is now an offence liable for arrest under the Chinese law if he is criticised.

Li’s wife Fu Xuejie said she had initially hidden his death from their elder son, saying “Dad went abroad”.