"Are you seeing this in heaven? The last gift you gave me was born today. I will love and take care of him," Li Wenliang's wife wrote on her WeChat moments after giving birth to their second child, a boy, on Friday, media reported.

Fu Xuejie, wife of late ophthalmologist Li from the Central Hospital of Wuhan who sounded an early alarm for the novel coronavirus, domestic news outlet Lizhi News reported on Friday that she had given birth to a boy. 

The baby weighed 3.45 kilograms, according to the media report. Floods of messages were left on social media to welcome him to the world, with some netizens "wishing him happiness forever."

Li was hailed a hero by Chinese netizens for his courage in warning people at the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, and his persistence, as he had never left the hospital and kept fighting the virus at the frontline. The doctor died following a battle with the coronavirus on February 7.

"I feel like crying as people have not forgotten him. This is the best news of the day for me," one netizen wrote in a post. 

"We hope this child will carry on the spirit of Dr Li and be a good man," another netizen said. 

Chinese authorities awarded the doctor and other 32 people May 4th Medals to commemorate their sacrifices in fighting against COVID-19. Li's official introduction read: "As an ophthalmologist, he was not afraid of danger and was not afraid to come into close contact with patients… He stuck to his frontline post and took care of patients in eight beds. When he became infected with COVID-19 at work, he was always concerned about the frontline and said many times that he would go back after recovering."

Following his death in February, anger and grief flooded Chinese social media, and many named the man a national hero, expressing indignation toward Wuhan authorities' early handling of his case.

Photo: Li Wenliang

Li was among eight Wuhan residents who were reprimanded by local police in early January for spreading "rumors" about the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

The investigation team sent by the central government on February 7 following Li's death also asked the local supervisory body to supervise the rectification of the matter, hold relevant personnel accountable, and timely announce the results.

Many said the experience of the eight "whistle-blowers" was evidence of local authorities' incompetence at the early stage in tackling a contagious and deadly virus.

Wuhan police on March 19 revoked a reprimand order against Li who died from COVID-19 for alleged rumor mongering, following recommendations of a closely-watched investigation by China's top supervisory body.

The probe only addressed issues related to Li. But it does not mean that the probe would stop there. Authorities would continue to probe other relevant matters such as inadequate epidemic response at the early stages of the outbreak and hold accountability.