Li Wenliang

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Li Wenliang was born on 12 October 1985 in a Manchu family in Beizhen, Jinzhou, Liaoning. His parents were former state enterprise workers and both lost their jobs in the 'wave of laid-offs' in the 1990s. He attended Beizhen High School and graduated in 2004 with an excellent academic record. He attended Wuhan University School of Medicine as a medical student in a seven-year combined bachelor's and master's degree program. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in his second year. His mentor praised him as a diligent and honest student. After graduation in 2011, Li worked at the Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University for three years. In 2014, Li became an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital. On 30 December 2019, Li saw a patient's report which showed a positive result with a high confidence level for SARS coronavirus tests. At 17:43, he wrote in a private WeChat group of his medical school classmates: '7 confirmed cases of SARS were reported [to hospital] from Huanan Seafood Market.' He also posted the patient's examination report and CT scan image. At 18:42, he added 'the latest news is, it has been confirmed that they are coronavirus infections, but the exact virus strain is being subtyped.' Li asked the WeChat group members to inform their families and friends to take protective measures whilst requesting discretion. On 3 January 2020, police interrogated Li, issued a formal written warning and censured him for 'publishing untrue statements about seven confirmed SARS cases at the Huanan Seafood Market.' He was made to sign a letter of admonition. Li returned to work and contracted the virus on 8 January. He died on 7 February 2020.

Reader's Guide

Li Wenliang's role in the COVID-19 pandemic began on 30 December 2019, when he shared a diagnostic report among his medical school alumni via WeChat. The report originated from Ai Fen, director of the emergency department at Wuhan Central Hospital, who became alarmed after receiving laboratory results of a patient. Li's messages were screenshotted and spread publicly. On 3 January 2020, police from the Wuhan Public Security Bureau interrogated Li and issued a formal written warning. He was made to sign a letter of admonition promising not to do it again. The police warned him that any recalcitrant behavior would result in a prosecution. On 31 January, Li published his experience with the letter of admonition on social media, and his post went viral. On 4 February, the Chinese Supreme People's Court said that the eight Wuhan citizens should not have been punished as what they said was not entirely false. Li told Caixin he felt relieved after the top court publicly criticized the police, and said, 'I think there should be more than one voice in a healthy society, and I don't approve of using public power for excessive interference.' A subsequent Chinese official inquiry exonerated him; Wuhan police formally apologized to his family and revoked his admonishment on 19 March. In April 2020, Li was posthumously awarded the May Fourth Medal by the government. By early June 2020, five more doctors from the Wuhan hospital had died from COVID-19.

Did You Know?

• Li Wenliang was born in a Manchu family in Beizhen, Jinzhou, Liaoning.
• He attended Wuhan University School of Medicine in a seven-year combined bachelor's and master's degree program.
• On 30 December 2019, Li wrote in a private WeChat group: '7 confirmed cases of SARS were reported [to hospital] from Huanan Seafood Market.'
• Li contracted COVID-19 on 8 January 2020 while treating a patient with acute angle-closure glaucoma who was a storekeeper at Huanan Seafood Market.
• Wuhan police formally apologized to Li's family and revoked his admonishment on 19 March 2020.