Ophthalmologists Are More Than Eye Doctors—In Memoriam Li Wenliang

• Published in: American journal of ophthalmology Vol. 213; pp. A1 - A2
• Main Authors: Parrish, Richard K., Stewart, Michael W., Duncan Powers, Sarah L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-05-2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; China - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - history; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease Outbreaks - history; Financial disclosure; Funding; Health Personnel; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Li Wenliang; Medical personnel; Ophthalmologists - history; Pandemics - history; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - history; SARS-CoV-2; China
• ISSN: 0002-9394; 1879-1891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.02.014

On February 7, 2020, Dr Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist from the People's Republic of China, died in Wuhan Central Hospital.1 Much like that of the majority of practicing ophthalmologists, Dr Li's work could not be identified on PubMed Central or Google Scholar, but he should not be judged by the number of peer-reviewed articles in high-impact scientific journals or the amount of competitive grant funding he received. Publication in a peer-review journal usually requires solid evidence and more than just well-reasoned conjecture, so rapid dissemination of such information is usually limited to social media and non–peer-reviewed websites and publications. In a recent editorial, “What's in a word?,” the authors state that “The suggestion that banning, or in any way discouraging the use of, the linguistic bedrock of evidentiary support for new ideas that spawn improvement of our diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities is paradoxical to the notion of sound science and human progress.”