After his release, Li unknowingly treated a woman infected with the coronavirus. Two days later, he checked himself into the hospital after showing symptoms. He died less than a month later.

While sick in the intensive care unit, Li continued to post on his Weibo account.

"I was wondering why [the government's] official notices were still saying there was no human-to-human transmission, and there were no healthcare workers infected," Li wrote on January 31 from his hospital bed, according to CNN.

Days before his death, he told the New York Times that officials could have done better at sharing information about the coronavirus at the beginning of the outbreak.

"I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency," he said.