Xie Linka (born 1981,Chinese:谢琳卡;pinyin:Xiè Línkǎ) is a Chinesephysician who gave early warning about the spread ofCOVID-19 inWuhan,China. She became known for being awhistleblower, a title given to others in China who had warned the public, such asLiu Wen, and Dr.Li Wenliang, who was infected and later died from the virus.
Xie Linka graduated with aPhD from theTongji Medical College ofHuazhong University of Science and Technology, and is the attending physician at the Cancer Center atWuhan Union Hospital.[1][2]
Dear teachers, my coworker from the infectious ward has shared a piece of information from the ward with us:
In the coming days, please avoidHuanan Seafood Wholesale Market, several people who went there are currently suffering from a pneumonia of unknown origin (similar to SARS).Today, our hospital has already received several patients with pneumonia who had visited the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.
- Please everyone, be cautious, wearsurgical masks orrespirators.
On December 30, 2019, Xie Linka posted a message in theWeChat group for her workplace, the Cancer Center at Wuhan Union Hospital.
She stated, "Don't visitHuanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the near future. Many people there have contracted an inexplicable pneumonia (similar toSARS). Our hospital has admitted numerouspneumonia patients from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market today. Everyone, please make sure to wear masks and keep your room ventilated," and cited her source as "news posted in our alumni group by a junior from my hospital."
Around January 3, 2020, Xie received a phone call from the Wuhan Police, instructing her not to spread "false information", although she noted they were "very polite" in their tone.[3]
Xie later stated in an interview that her "early warning" to the public was part of a doctor's duty.[4]
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