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Li Wenliang, a doctor who tried to alert the world about the novel coronavirus, passed away on Feb. 7 after contracting the disease while caring for patients in Wuhan, China. (Yonhap News)

Li Wenliang, the doctor who alerted the outside world to the existence and danger of the novel coronavirus — only to be punished by the Chinese government for “spreading rumors” — passed away in the early morning hours of Feb. 7. Li was being treated in the hospital for the novel coronavirus, which he had contracted while caring for patients. We want to express our admiration for this doctor who courageously spoke the truth and faithfully carried out his responsibilities, even though it cost him his life.

Li was a righteous whistleblower. On Dec. 30, 2019, early in the coronavirus outbreak, Li told medical colleagues in an online chatroom that people were coming down with a SARS-like condition at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market and advised them to wear protective gear when providing medical care. His message in the chatroom was quickly shared online, making the world aware of the danger of the coronavirus. Li’s colleagues also started wearing masks and other protective gear.

But because of fears of societal panic, the Chinese government focused on hiding, or at least downplaying, the outbreak of the infectious disease and the fact that it was spreading. The Chinese authorities called in Li, who they’d identified as the source of the rumors. They forced him to confess in writing that he’d “damaged the social order by disseminating false information” and demanded his silence.

But it didn’t take long for Li’s warnings to become a reality. While the Chinese government was focusing on discounting the severity of the outbreak, claiming there was a low risk of person-to-person transmission, the coronavirus was rapidly spreading through the population. This was when Li was infected while treating patients without protective gear, on the government’s orders.

On Jan. 21, the Chinese government finally admitted that the coronavirus could be transmitted between people; two days later, it placed the Wuhan region under lockdown. That was after the virus had already spread around China and into other countries. Because Beijing wasn’t transparent about releasing information at the beginning of the outbreak and instead preoccupied itself with covering it up, the perfect time to halt the outbreak was lost.

China has previously exacerbated an epidemic by hiding related information and making a belated response during the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2002-2003. It’s regrettable that China failed to learn a lesson from that agonizing failure.

In an interview with the press during his hospitalization, Li was quoted as saying that “a healthy society should not have just one voice.” Refusing to make accurate information available and imposing artificial controls with the goal of preventing social chaos only creates the ideal conditions for an infectious disease to run rampant. We hope the Chinese government won’t make the same mistake again.

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]