Canadian Doctor Says It’s ‘Unlikely’ Coronavirus Whistleblower in China Died from COVID-19 Days After Arrest

Chinese students and their supporters hold a memorial for Dr Li Wenliang, who was the whistleblower of the Coronavirus, Covid-19, that originated in Wuhan, China and caused the doctors death in that city, outside the UCLA campus in Westwood, California, on Feb. 15, 2020. MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images

A Canadian doctor says he thinks it’s “quite unlikely” that the coronavirus whistleblower, Dr. Li Wenliang, died of COVID-19 days after he was arrested by Chinese police for warning the public about a “SARS-like” outbreak.

Li alerted his friends and classmates about the novel coronavirus in a post on WeChat, a popular social media platform in China, on Dec. 30, 2019. Shortly after, officials in Wuhan city said on Jan. 1, 2020, that they had “taken legal measures” against eight individuals including Li, who allegedly “spread rumours” about the disease, and had “caused adverse impacts on society.” Two days later, Wuhan police reprimanded Li for “rumour-mongering.”