Dr Li Wenliang is being mourned as a "hero who was willing to speak the truth" as members of the medical community pay tribute to the ophthalmologist who died of the virus he warned about, at the age of 34.  

Despite earlier conflicting reports, the Wuhan hospital where Li worked has now confirmed in a statement on its official Weibo account that he died at 2.58 am local time on Friday.

He publicly revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus in a Weibo post on 1 February.