Chinese doctor who first found out about coronavirus was censored. Now, he's dead due to virus

The Chinese doctor who first warned his government of the coronavirus outbreak but had his claims dismissed has now died of the virus.

Li Wenliang, who had first shared suspicion of a Sars-like illness spreading in Wuhan, died on Thursday after he was infected by the coronavirus, the state-run Global Times reported.

34-year-old Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Wuhan Central Hospital, first told his friends about a viral infection spreading through the district via private messages as early as December 30.

He was the first to report about the virus way back in December last year when it first emerged in Wuhan, the provincial capital of China's central Hubei province.

He had told other doctors through a chat on the Chinese messaging app WeChat that seven patients admitted in his hospital were exhibiting Sars-like symptoms. The ophthalmologist said all seven patients had eaten animal meat from the same seafood market in Hubei.

I explained that, according to a test he had seen, the illness was a coronavirus -- a large family of viruses that includes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which led to 800 death in China and the world in 2003.

China has a troubled history with Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Diseases). A Sars outbreak in 2003 in Southern China had left more than 8,000 people infected and 774 dead over 17 nations.

Li's message was meant to be a cautionary note for his medical school friends to take care of their loved ones. But within hours of Wenliang revealing the information, the chats spread like wildfire on Chinese social media.

His name was exposed to hundreds of citizens. "When I saw them circulating online, I realised that it was out of my control and I would probably be punished," Li was quoted as saying by CNN recently.

And that is exactly what happened.

On January 3, Chinese authorities summoned Li and many other doctors and accused them of spreading rumours. A stern message calling for an end to rumour-mongering was broadcast across China.

"The police call on all netizens to not fabricate rumours, not spread rumours, not believe rumours," the message read.

Li was made to sign an affidavit acknowledging his crime and had to promise he will not engage in any such activities in the future.