Wuhan Covid whistleblower banned from writing while her phone was tapped and her movements monitored

Fang Fang, 67, said she felt "somewhat depressed" after facing pressure and restrictions from Chinese authorities for reporting the coronavirus in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic

Chinese novelist Fang Fang faces censorship (

Image: Getty Images)

A novelist who revealed the first details of the coronavirus epidemic in the Chinese city of Wuhan in January 2020 has been banned from writing and faces "total censorship".

Fang Fang's phone is tapped and she is monitored every time she leaves her house.

The professional writer has also been banned from speaking to foreign media and cannot participate in any social activities, publish essays, have their new work published, or reprint their old work.

The 67-year-old woman, whose real name is Wang Fang, has lived in Wuhan since she was a child.

She began writing about the coronavirus outbreak after an editor at a Chinese literary journal asked her to produce an account of the lockdown.

Medical staff wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of the virus (

Picture:

AFP via Getty Images)

Fang said, "It gave me the impetus to start recording things, I started publishing an account of what was going on. The diary seemed to bring solace to many readers. ."

She has also written about the outbreak on Weibo - China's equivalent of Twitter - and her posts have been read by tens of millions of people.

Fang gave insight into the chaos and suffering in Wuhan, including when a child ran after an ambulance carrying away his dead mother and a six-year-old child was found locked up at home with his grandfather. deceased father.