A third doctor in China who worked on the front line fighting the coronavirus disease in Wuhan has died from Covid-19.

Mei Zhongming, 57, was an ophthalmologist who worked with whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang, who was silenced by police for sounding the alarm about the new virus strain and later succumbing to it.

Mai contracted the virus while he was working at Wuhan Central Hospital.

He died on Tuesday, March 3.

Li, his 34-year-old colleague, also died from the pneumonia-like illness on Feb. 7, prompting an outpouring of grief and anger in China.

Mei is the third doctor from the hospital to die from Covid-19.

The hospital expressed condolences to Mei’s family and praised his 30 years of service in a brief announcement on social network WeChat.

The hospital did not give details of how Mei contracted the virus.

But a report from the Wuhan Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Feb. 18 said he had been infected after working long hours on the coronavirus front line.

Second doctor died two days ago

Just two days ago, Jiang Xueqing, head of thyroid and breast surgery, also died from the disease at the age of 55.

Little information was released about Jiang’s death on Sunday.

His colleague Li Hai told official newspaper People’s Daily that Jiang had been exhausted after working “non-stop” treating coronavirus patients.

Medical staff death toll

So far, 13 doctors and nurses have died from Covid-19, according to the official numbers.

More than 3,000 have been infected in China since the epidemic began in the central city of Wuhan in December 2019.

Wuhan Central Hospital started treating patients who had been in close contact with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the middle of December.

Doctors reported the cases to management but no action was taken to protect medical staff at first.

They were instead warned not to talk publicly about the respiratory illness.

Among those who have died as a result of the coranvirus outbreak in China are several young medical workers.

Among the youngest was 29-year-old respiratory and critical care doctor Peng Yinhua.

He worked at the Jiangxia district People’s No 1 Hospital in Wuhan and died from the disease in February.

Peng had planned to get married over the Lunar New Year holiday but postponed his wedding to treat patients.

Another 29-year-old, gastroenterologist Xia Sisi, also died in February after she became infected while working at the Union Jiangbei Hospital in Wuhan.

How virus affected medical staff

Staff on the front line at Wuhan Central Hospital began wearing N95 respirator masks and other protective gear in January as the number of virus cases surged.

This was before authorities on Jan. 20 confirmed the virus was being transmitted between humans.

Despite the precautions, the first medical worker at the hospital was confirmed with the virus on Jan. 10.

More than 30 others from the emergency department alone have tested positive for Covid-19 since then.