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Coronavirus whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang’s widow gives birth to son
- Fu Xuejie has baby early on Friday in hospital in Wuhan
- Millions view the news on Weibo, where the late doctor’s account continues to attract tributes after he was punished for raising the alarm about the virus
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The widow of Li Wenliang, the whistle-blower doctor whose death from Covid-19 sparked national outrage in China after he was disciplined for warning of the outbreak, gave birth to a baby boy early on Friday.
Fu Xuejie’s son was born in the early hours of Friday at a hospital in Wuhan – the central Chinese city that was the initial epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic – and she and her baby were healthy, local broadcaster Litchi News reported.
Li, who was an eye doctor in Wuhan, was one of eight people reprimanded by police in January for “spreading rumours” by warning colleagues of a mystery new illness in late December. He contracted the virus and died on February 6, aged 33, survived by his then-pregnant wife Fu and their five-year-old son.
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“My husband, can you see us from heaven?” Fu wrote on her WeChat account on Friday morning. “The last gift you gave me was born today – I will work hard to love and protect them.”
01:29
Widow of Chinese coronavirus whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang gives birth to son
Widow of Chinese coronavirus whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang gives birth to son
Li’s death galvanised a tide of anger and grief in China over initial missteps in Beijing’s response to the outbreak, sparking calls on social media for accountability of officials who had sought to cover up the spread of the virus.
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