China Infectious Diseases Expert Who Helped Devise Zero-COVID Strategy Passes Away

Wu Zunyou, China’s top infectious diseases expert, passed away at 60 due to pancreatic cancer.

The epidemiologist played a key role in pushing China’s draconian zero-COVID strategy, which locked down individuals inside their homes.

JUST IN – China's chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou who played a key role in zero-COVID has died at age 60 — Bloomberg

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 27, 2023

China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued an announcement about Zunyouo’s death, according to reports.

China’s top epidemiologist who advised Beijing’s efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic dies at age 60 https://t.co/ulcZ5KVJv2

— Bloomberg (@business) October 27, 2023

The Associated Press reports:

Wu’s health had been poor. He disappeared out of the public eye for months last year while battling cancer.

Wu, who earned his master’s and doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles, had spent much of his early career working on HIV/Aids prevention in China.

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Wu was instrumental in developing China’s flagship policy in the HIV epidemic among intravenous drug users, according to his biography on the UCLA website. In recognition of this work, he was awarded the 2005 International Rolleston Award. Later, he was also awarded a UNAIDS Gold Medal in 2008 for his overall work.

Yet, as China battled the COVID-19 virus, Wu came to be criticized by some for his choice to publicly voice support for the country’s strict virus control measures even as the weaknesses of the strategy became more pronounced.

“Dynamic zero-COVID is appropriate for China’s reality, and is the best choice to control our country’s current COVID situation,” he said in April 2022, during the height of Shanghai’s lockdown.

Shortly after former Chinese premier Li Keqiang's death, China's top CDC expert, Wu Zunyou, also died.

He was behind the zero-COVID policy that confined millions to their homes during the 3-year pandemic control.https://t.co/irY2AWd5bd

— Eva Fu (@EvaSailEast) October 27, 2023

In a prior interview, Zunyou told NBC News that “they didn’t isolate the virus.”

WATCH:

Zunyou’s death follows the passing of former Chinese premier Li Keqiang.

First the former prime minister, now this:

China CDC Chief Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou Passed Away: CCTV

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 27, 2023

From the Associated Press:

The sudden death of China’s former second-ranking leader, Li Keqiang, has shocked many people in the country, with tributes offered up to the ex-official who promised market-oriented reforms but was politically sidelined.

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Li, who died early Friday of a heart attack, was China’s top economic official for a decade, helping navigate the world’s second-largest economy through challenges such as rising political, economic and military tensions with the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Li was extolled as an excellent (Communist Party of China) member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist, statesman and leader of the Party and the state,” the official Xinhua News Agency said in its brief obituary.

Li was known for his advocacy of private business but lost much of his influence as President Xi Jinping accumulated ever-greater powers and elevated the military and security services in aid of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

A hashtag related to his death on the Chinese social media platform Weibo drew over 1 billion views in just a few hours. On posts about Li, the “like” button was turned into a daisy — a common flower for funerals in China, and many users commented “rest in peace.” Others called his death a loss and said Li worked hard and contributed greatly to China.

The Chinese government, however, had little to say immediately about Li. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asked reporters to refer to information from official news agency Xinhua and the obituary released later.