Wuhan hospital director dies of coronavirus

A hospital director at epicentre of China's virus epidemic died Tuesday, state media said, latest medical worker to fall victim to coronavirus which has spre across country. COVID-19 virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan late last year, has spre to more than 72,000 people and killed 1,900 in China.

Liu Zhiming, director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died Tuesday morning after "all-out rescue efforts failed," state brocaster CCTV reported. He is first kwn hospital director to have died from coronavirus.

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At least six or medical workers have died from virus, while 1,716 have been infected, according to official figures. Liu's death was initially reported by Chinese media and bloggers shortly after midnight on Tuesday -- but stories were later deleted and replaced with reports that doctors were still attempting to save him.

hospital director's death has echoes of death of Wuhan ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, who h been punished by authorities for sounding alarm about virus in late December. Li's death prompted a national outpouring of grief as well as anger against authorities, who were accused of mishandling crisis.

People took to social media once more to mourn Liu on Tuesday, with many users on Twitter-like Weibo platform drawing comparisons between Liu's death and Li's, which was also initially reported by state media and n denied hours before being finally confirmed again.

Doctors in Wuhan face shorts of masks and protective bodysuits, with some even wearing makeshift hazmat suits and continuing to work despite showing respiratory symptoms, because of a lack of medical staff, health workers have told AFP. 

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