Chinese netizens have flocked to the social media account of Dr. Li Wenliang a year after he first warned fellow medics of the novel coronavirus.

Li’s name was searched almost 1.5 million times on Weibo on Wednesday. Many wrote on his page, with some calling him a “martyr.”

“Many people have attacked him for what he did,” one user wrote. “Are we only remembering him as a whistleblower? Those who have forgotten what he did are heartless.”

“Dr. Li Wenliang was a martyr,” another wrote. “He was infected while working. He even clarified rumors for the country in media interviews in his last days. Some vile media outlets have chosen to forget what he did.”

Li, an ophthalmologist, died in February after contracting the coronavirus. The 34-year-old sent a message to his colleagues in a chat group, warning them of the new virus on Dec. 30, 2019.

Four days later, he was summoned to the Public Security Bureau, where he was accused of “making false comments” that had “severely disturbed the social order.”

He was made to acknowledge the accusations in writing and signed the charge sheet as instructed.

One Weibo user said the piece of paper would one day be displayed in a museum.

The pinned post on Li’s Weibo page was written on Feb.1. It read: “The nucleic acid test returned a positive result today. Finally, I have been confirmed to have contracted the virus.”

Li’s son with his wife, Fu Xuejie, was born in June.

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