VOA常速英语:疫情吹哨人李文亮医生去世一年

A year after his death from COVID-19, residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan say they remain grateful to the doctor who first sounded the alarm about the outbreak. Reuters Olivia Chang reports. It has been a year since Li Wenliang, the "whistleblower" doctor who first warned about the COVID-19 outbreak, died from the virus. Li was an ophthalmologist at a hospital in the city who tried to sound the alarm about the virus' appearance. His death from COVID-19 on February 7 last year led to an outpouring of public mourning. Several days after Li's death, renowned epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan shed tears for Li in an interview with Reuters. "He is, he is the hero of China." That's Reuters Olivia Chang.

Poorer countries are working to secure their own COVID-19 vaccines instead of waiting for them to be delivered by the U.N. and other organizations. AP's Sarah Bassett reports. In previous disease outbreaks, less wealthy countries generally waited for vaccines to be delivered. But countries including Serbia, Bangladesh and Mexico have begun vaccinating citizens through donations or commercial deals. This approach could leave even fewer vaccines for the program known as COVAX, since rich countries have already snapped up the majority of this year's supply. I'm Sarah Bassett.

Just like the holidays, health officials in the United States are concerned about Super Bowl gatherings. AP's Shelley Adler has details. Don't let the Super Bowl be a superspreader event. That's been the message from Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "Whichever team you're rooting for and whichever commercial is your favorite, please watch the Super Bowl safely, gathering only virtually or with the people you live with." Sunday's contest with Kansas City taking on Tampa Bay is happening as the nation sees a dramatic drop in new virus cases, a sign that the infection spike from holiday gatherings is easing. I'm Shelley Adler.

President Joe Biden gave a pep talk to a California woman who was laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Roseville, California, woman told the president "it's been a tough time" trying to find work. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd, VOA news.