BEIJING: A hospital director at the epicentre of China's virus epidemic died on Tuesday, the latest medical worker to succumb to the coronavirus outbreak.
The virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan late last year, has infected more than 72,000 people and killed nearly 1,900.
Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died Tuesday morning. Liu's death was initially reported by Chinese media and bloggers shortly after midnight on Tuesday -- but the stories were later deleted and replaced with reports that doctors were still trying to save him. After initial reports of his death were denied, the hospital told AFP on Tuesday morning that doctors were giving him life-saving treatment.
Liu's death has echoes of what happened in the case of Wuhan ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, who had been punished by authorities for sounding the alarm about the virus in late December. Li's death prompted a national outpouring of grief as well as anger against the authorities, who were accused of mishandling the crisis.
