When did China doctor who 1st warned of Covid pandemic die? The mystery stays on

The mystery around the death of a China-based ophthalmologist who had warned his colleagues about the Covid pandemic in early 2020 still continues to baffle. A New York Times report showed discrepancy in the timing of the doctor's death sparking renewed interest into the early warnings of the Covid pandemic and China's delayed response.

Dr Li Wenliang from Wuhan- said to be the place of origin of Covid- died on February 7, the hospital informed. While hospital records show that he died at 4 am as well as 2:58 am with reports suggesting that the doctor went into cardiac arrest at around 7:20 pm on February 7.

New York Times, quoting Life Times said that Dr Li Wenliang died at 9:30 pm, while another report said that he died at 10:40 pm on February 7.

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Highlighting the time Li Wenliang was in the hospital, his colleague told the New York Times, “I think Dr. Li Wenliang had already died by the time I saw him around 9 pm on February 6.”

"They dragged their feet for so long over the announcement. It's like the hospital really did not treat us as human beings," he added.

Li Wenliang was widely appreciated in China as a heroic truth-teller becoming the country's most famous fatality of the then emerging pandemic. On January 12, 2020, Dr. Li had checked into the hospital with a fever, lung infection and other symptoms. Doctors had then said that he needed oxygen support. On February 5, Li's health deteriorated severely as he was at a risk of multiple organ failure.

But when did he die? No one knows.