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Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
I never use the hand gel. I've read that it's better to use soap and water (and not antibacterial soap).

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A prominent Chinese doctor, who had been punished by police for blowing the whistle on the coronavirus outbreak, has died, the Wuhan Central Hospital reported.

The hospital confirmed Dr. Li Wenliang's death in a post on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter: "Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang of our hospital, who was unfortunately infected during the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, failed after all efforts, and died at 2:58 on February 7, 2020. We deeply regret and mourn this."

The confirmation from the hospital came after a day of confusion over the fate of Li, who had tried to warn his colleagues about the deadly new respiratory virus in online chat forums.

Two sources had confirmed Li's death Thursday, according to the Global Times, which reported that he had been reprimanded for “posting false information on the Internet,” in the early days of the outbreak.

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Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
Time to get my first flu shot ever!!!

Seriously, I’m on a business trip in LA, staying at a hotel in San Gabriel neighborhood. It looked fun in the pics, what with all of the Asian restaurants and culture . . . And everyone but me with a face mask.

Uh oh.

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Streets here were quiet and neighborhoods sealed, but grief and rage against the government poured onto social media across China on Friday as the country confronted the death of the "whistleblower doctor" whose story was seen as a parable for the Communist Party's failings.

Within hours of Li Wenliang’s death, millions of Chinese, homebound in the coronavirus crisis, tried to bypass censors to post the hashtag #WeDemandFreedomOfSpeech in a remarkable but short-lived digital uprising. The users were memorializing Li, who is considered the first to sound the alarm about the deadly new virus when he leaked a Dec. 30 document from his hospital confirming a diagnosis. On Jan. 1, he was detained and silenced by Wuhan police, who accused him of spreading lies.

As the torrent of outrage built up overnight, the government in Beijing turned to a familiar tool — censorship — as it sought to prevent the already-staggering public health crisis from taking a volatile turn.

“He was an ordinary figure, but a symbol,” said Zhang Lifan, an independent historian in Beijing. “If it weren’t for the epidemic and nobody could leave their home, there would likely be demonstrations right now.”

Li’s fame skyrocketed in recent days after he disclosed that after police released him in January, he immediately returned to work at Wuhan Central Hospital and contracted the virus from patients. He fell ill on Jan. 10 and three weeks later, at age 34, became one of the 630 Chinese to succumb to the disease.

On Friday, in semiautonomous Hong Kong, activists planned an evening memorial for Li in the city’s financial district. On the Chinese mainland, where such gatherings are often quickly snuffed out, supporters around the country used the Internet to order deliveries of flowers to Wuhan Central, where Li worked and died. In Beijing, a mourner wrote “Farewell, Li Wenliang” in the snow-covered banks of the Tonghui canal, according to photos making the rounds on social media.

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Originally posted by Nina:
This, for me, would be hell on earth:

Cruise ships quarantined

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People who are quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess in Japan have been wondering how long their isolation would last. On Friday, a health official gave an answer they might not like: the quarantine will be extended every time a new case of the Wuhan coronavirus is confirmed on the ship.

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Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
Whatever the facts, people will remain suspicious that Dr. Li's demise at such a young age may have been hastened by "officials."

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Originally posted by wtg:

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Originally posted by Nina:
This, for me, would be hell on earth:

Cruise ships quarantined

Hell just got a little hotter:

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People who are quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess in Japan have been wondering how long their isolation would last. On Friday, a health official gave an answer they might not like: the quarantine will be extended every time a new case of the Wuhan coronavirus is confirmed on the ship.

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/07...t-the-isolation-cloc