Zhang took his elderly father to a Wuhan hospital for a surgical procedure in January, just as coronavirus was consuming the central Chinese city. Within days, his father was dead of the contagion.

Devastated and angry, Zhang is now demanding answers from a government that he accuses of incompetence and lying about the extent of the virus.

He is not alone.

Zhang says he has linked online with dozens of other people whose grief over lost loved ones is paired with anger.

Zhang, in his 50s, declined to give his full name in an interview with AFP, fearing government retaliation for speaking to foreign media.

But he won’t back down in his push for answers.