A Chinese doctor who was silenced after trying to warn about the outbreak of coronavirus has died of the disease, according to reports.
Li Wenliang, 34, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, sent a message in a chat group on 30 December to fellow doctors warning them of a possible virus outbreak.
Chinese media reported on Thursday that he died after contracting coronavirus in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak originated.
Dr Li shared the warning after he noticed seven cases of a virus he thought resembles Sars, the deadly illness which spread in 2003.
Four days after his warning he was called to a police station to sign a letter in which he was accused of “making false comments” that had “severely disturbed the social order”.
He was one of eight people identified by police for allegedly “spreading rumours”.
He shared a social media post saying he started coughing on 10 January, and was hospitalised with a fever three days later.
On Thursday last week, Dr Li said he had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
According to the BBC, he wrote: “Today nucleic acid testing came back with a positive result, the dust has settled, finally diagnosed.”
As of Thursday, the global death toll from coronavirus was 565, with the number of confirmed cases being 28,273.
Some 260 cases have been recorded outside China, including three in the UK. One case was confirmed earlier on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador to the UK warned against “rumours and panic” over coronavirus after concerns were raised that Boris Johnson has not offered a personal message of support to China’s leaders.
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Speaking to reporters in London, Liu Xiaoming called on the UK government to support China in its handling of the outbreak, but insisted relations between Chinese president Xi Jinping and the British PM are good.
He said: “It is of hope that governments of all countries, including the UK, should understand and support China’s efforts, avoid overreaction, avoid creating panic, and ensure normal co-operation and exchanges between countries.”