Page 7 - HOH

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 7 February 2020

Chinese doctor who sounded the alarm about the virus dies

By KEN MORITSUGU clear.
BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese "The baby was immediately
doctor who got in trouble separated from the mother
with authorities in the com- after the birth and has been
munist country for sounding under artificial feeding.
an early warning about the There was no close con-
coronavirus outbreak died tact with the parents, yet
Friday after coming down it was diagnosed with the
with the illness. disease," Zeng Lingkong, di-
The Wuhan Central Hospi- rector of neonatal diseases
tal said on its social media at Wuhan Children's Hospi-
account that Dr. Li Wen- tal, told Chinese TV.
liang, a 34-year-old oph- Zeng said other infected
thalmologist, was "unfortu- mothers have given birth to
nately infected during the babies who tested nega-
fight against the pneumo- tive, so it is not yet known
nia epidemic of the new if the virus can be transmit-
coronavirus infection." ted in the womb.
"We deeply regret and MORE HOSPITAL BEDS
mourn this," it added. China finished building a
Li was reprimanded by lo- second new hospital Thurs-
cal police for "spreading day to isolate and treat pa-
rumors" about the illness in In this Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, photo, a medical worker in a protective suit looks at patients tients — a 1,500-bed center
late December, accord- who diagnosed with the coronaviruses arrive at a temporary hospital which transformed from an in Wuhan. Earlier this week,
ing to news reports. The exhibition center in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. another rapidly construct-
outbreak, centered in Wu- Associated Press ed, 1,000-bed hospital in
han, has now infected over Wuhan with prefabricated
28,200 people globally and We all need to celebrate Li would pull through. One ported earlier this week. It wards and isolation rooms
killed more than 560, trig- work that he did" on the vi- wrote: "We are not going to said that after the mystery began taking patients.
gering travel restrictions rus. bed. We are here waiting illness had stricken seven Authorities also moved
and quarantines around Within a half-hour of an- for a miracle." patients at a hospital, Li people with milder symp-
the world and a crisis inside nouncing earlier Friday that Li was among a number said of them in an online toms into makeshift hospi-
the country of 1.4 billion. Li was in critical condition, of medical professionals in chat group Dec. 30: "Quar- tals at sports arenas, exhibi-
The World Health Organi- the hospital received near- Wuhan who tried to warn antined in the emergency tion halls and other public
zation tweeted: "We are ly 500,000 comments on its colleagues and others department." spaces.
deeply saddened by the social media post, many of when the government did Another participant in the All together, more than 50
passing of Dr Li Wenliang. them from people hoping not, The New York Times re- chat responded by won- million people are under
dering, "Is SARS coming virtual quarantine in hard-
again?" — a reference to hit Hubei province in an
the 2002-03 viral outbreak unprecedented — and un-
that killed hundreds, the proven — bid to bring the
newspaper said. outbreak under control.
Wuhan health officials sum- In Hong Kong, hospital
moned Li in the middle of workers demanding a shut-
the night to explain why down of the territory's bor-
he shared the information, der with mainland China
and police later forced him were on strike for a fourth
to sign a statement admit- day. Hong Kong leader
ting to "illegal behavior," Carrie Lam announced a
the Times said. 14-day quarantine of all
"If the officials had dis- travelers entering the city
closed information about from the mainland starting
the epidemic earlier," Li Saturday, but the govern-
said in an interview in the ment has refused to seal
Times via text messages, "I the border entirely.
think it would have been a QUARANTINED CRUISE
lot better. There should be SHIPS
more openness and trans- Two docked cruise ships
parency." with thousands of passen-
In other developments in gers and crew members
the outbreak: remained under 14-day
YOUNGEST PATIENT quarantines in Hong Kong
A newborn in China be- and Japan.
came the youngest known Ten passengers confirmed
person infected with the to have the virus were es-
virus. corted off the Diamond
The baby was born Satur- Princess at the port of Yoko-
day in Wuhan and con- hama near Tokyo, after 10
firmed positive just 36 hours others were taken off the
after birth, authorities said. previous day. About 3,700
But precisely how the child people were confined
became infected was un- aboard the ship.q