Covid-19 coronavirus: Widow of Chinese whistleblower Li Wenliang gives birth to son

Chinese doctor Li Wenliang succumbed to the virus in February and never got to meet his son. Photo / Getty Images

The widow of Dr Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who died of Covid-19 after trying to warn citizens about the virus, has given birth to the couple's baby boy.

Fu Xuejie announced the birth of her son with a post on WeChat, the NPR reports.

"Husband, are you watching from heaven? The last gift you sent to me has been born," she wrote.

"I will definitely take care of him well."

According to the South China Morning Post, the widow gave birth in Wuhan, the city where it is believed the novel coronavirus originated.

Li, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, reportedly informed his medical school alumni group in December about a new Sars-like virus that was making people sick.

Chinese officials allegedly pressured him into keeping silent about the virus, which would develop into a pandemic.

CNN reported that Li was detained by police in early January, charged with "rumour mongering". He was released two days later, after signing a document declaring he had made "untrue statements".

He returned to his job as a doctor at the Wuhan hospital, where patients with signs of the virus continued to appear.

He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on February 1 and succumbed to the virus on February 7.