Joseph R. Anticaglia MD
Medical Advisory Board
Physicians in different specialties frequently participate in morbidity and mortality conferences. At these conferences, the medical records of patients are presented, diseases discussed, procedures reviewed, complications noted and medical and surgical outcomes evaluated.
Besides being a teaching and learning experience, the purpose of the M&M conferences is to get at the truth. If a medical or surgical procedure went badly, why and how did it happen, who is responsible and what measures should be taken to correct the problem and improve patient care? If a colleague devised an innovated solution to a problem, a question soon followed, how can patients benefit from such information?
It was in December 2019 that Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, noticed something strange in his hospital. Wuhan, China is an industrial and commercial city of 11 million people about 600 miles south of Beijing and the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak now called, COVID-19 (coronavirus disease- 2019).
Dr. Li was intrigued by the isolation of 7 patients who were quarantined because of pneumonia with an unspecified diagnosis. He messaged eight chat friends on December 30, 2020 writing that something peculiar is happening at his hospital; it was reminiscent of the SARS virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and suggested they take the necessary precautions.
Well, before you can say Wuhan Central Hospital in Hubei province three times, Chinese health officials were eyeball to eyeball with the doctor. It was 1:30 in the morning of December 31, about eight hours after his WeChat message to his friends and colleagues the previous day, that China’s authorities accused him of disseminating unauthorized information. On January 3, 2020 he was forced to sign a document that in part charged him with spreading “untrue speech” on the internet.
Dr. Li returned to work examining patients. On Friday, January10, he inadvertently treated a glaucoma patient who was infected with COVID-19. Days later he was admitted to the hospital complaining of a fever, cough and shortness of breath. He tested positive for COVID-19 and on February 7, 2020, the virus overwhelmed the body’s defenses causing his death.
On January 27, 2020, Dr. Li Wenliang, age 33, told his story using a fictitious name to the Beijing Youth Daily. It chronicled his experience with the virus and his questioning by Chinese officials. The Daily, a party affiliated newspaper, deleted the article about one hour later.
Dr. Li’s treatment by Chinese police officials fueled indignation throughout China. Why should Chines authorities castigate Dr. Li for telling the truth in a chat message to his friends about a potential public health epidemic? Why was Dr. Li Wenliang’s chat friends summoned and investigated by Chinese authorities for wrong doing?
Li’s death overwhelmed China’s social media. People posted messages of frustration, outrage and sorrow. The Guardian reported that Dr. Li’s death sparked “more than 1.5bn views” on the site Weibo! Images of Li were “ubiquitous” on Weibo and the messaging app WeChat.
There is “a last photo of him lying on his hospital bed wearing a breathing mask.” In the photo is a “humiliating police warning document on which he signed “I understand” and “admitted” spreading false rumors.
Business Insider reported, “Li’s mother defended her son, telling a Chinese news outlet on February 7, 2020 that “He had so much potential, so much talent. He’s not the kind of person who would lie.”
Depending on the political winds and domestic sentiment in China, the health authorities initially tried to muzzle Dr. Li Wenliang’s warning about COVID-19. His chat friends were rounded up and accused of being “rumor-mongers.”
Shortly after Dr. Li’s death, the Chinese authorities reversed course offering condolences to the family and lauding him as being a “martyr” in the service of humanity. The Chines people called him a “Hero who told the truth.”
We recognize Dr. Wenliang and other doctors who put their lives in jeopardy treating patients with communicable diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and other harmful agents. However, not enough credit or appreciation is given to registered nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). They work many hours in close contact with infected patients, contaminated instruments, needles, medical supplies and beddings.
Also, more attention ought to be given to other health care workers who gather soiled bed sheets, linens, contaminated medical products and dispose of them in a safe manner. They’re a vital part of the health team that fights infectious diseases every day and night on our behalf. They are unsung heroes and deserve more recognition and respect.
Dr. Li Wenliang has been called a hero, whistleblower and an enemy of the state for sounding the alarm about COVID-19. Unfortunately, it’s quite possible that if his warning was acted upon sooner, many lives would have been saved. As of February 24, 2020, more than 3,000 medical staff in China had been infected by the current coronavirus.
Nomenclature used for the 2019 coronavirus:
Liu Zhiming, a neurosurgeon and the director of the Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died treating COVID-n19 patients on February 18, 2020. Another doctor, Peng Yinhua, had died on February 24, treating Covid-n19 patients in Wuhan.
This article is intended solely as a learning experience. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options.
