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Why did a ‘cured’ coronavirus patient die in China? His widow wants answers

  • Li Liang appeared to have recovered from a mild case of Covid-19 until his condition suddenly worsened at a temporary quarantine facility in Wuhan
  • Li’s wife held him in her arms as breath faded and his body went cold

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Temporary medical facilities have been set up throughout Wuhan to treat mild cases of Covid-19. Photo: EPA-EFE

Wang Mei had expected her husband to come home from quarantine this Tuesday.

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Her husband, 36-year-old Wuhan bonesetter Li Liang, developed a fever in early February and had been admitted to one of the city’s 16 temporary medical centres set up to treat mild cases of Covid-19, a disease caused by a new coronavirus.

Five days after the father-of-one was discharged and certified “cured”, Li was dead, leaving his family bereft and his wife on a hunt for answers.

Wang has been calling local government offices every day for an explanation.

All seemed fine even after Li was admitted to Hanyang Fangcang Hospital on February 12, with the couple keeping in touch with daily video chats.

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“He only had a low temperature when he was admitted, only just a bit of coughing,” she said. “In hospital, he took [traditional Chinese] herbal medicine twice a day. Later he even became a volunteer at the hospital, moving supplies.”

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