Wuhan hospital director dies of coronavirus
A hospital director at the epicentre of China's virus epidemic died Tuesday, state media said, the latest medical worker to fall victim to the coronavirus which has spread across the country.
The COVID-19 virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan late last year, has spread to more than 72,000 people and killed 1,900 in China.
Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died Tuesday morning after "all-out rescue efforts failed," state broadcaster CCTV reported.
He is the first known hospital director to have died from the coronavirus.
At least six other medical workers have died from the 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 the stories were later deleted and replaced with reports that doctors were still attempting to save him.
The hospital director's death has echoes of the death of Wuhan ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, who had ..