

TWO whistleblowers who defied the Chinese government to expose the horror of the coronavirus outbreak remain missing two months on.

Chen Quishi and Fang Bin disappeared in February after uploading videos showing piles of corpses and overwhelmed hospital staff in the city of Wuhan.

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4 Human rights lawyer Chen Quishi has not been seen or heard from since February 6 Credit: AP:Associated Press

It comes as questions remain over China's handling of the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, with accusations the Communist Party regime tried to cover up the extent of the virus's spread and the imminent danger.

China has also now imposed new tough restrictions on academic research into the origins of Covid-19.

Mr Chen, a human rights lawyer, posted video of inside a hospital in Wuhan showing overwhelmed staff battling an influx of patients.

In another video uploaded on January 29, he said he was "scared" and felt trapped between the authorities and the virus.

And then on February 6 his account on Weibo - a Chinese social network - was deleted.

His parents were informed he had been taken into quarantine - and since then there has been no sign of him.

Mr Fang's disappearance is chillingly similar as he uploaded a video on February 1 showing eight bodies outside a hospital in Wuhan - with police then seizing his laptop.

Days later, on February 4 he uploaded a video of men in protective suits trying to enter his home before he vanished on February 8.

Pierre Haski, president of Reporters Without Borders, said both men are in "the hands of the Chinese authorities".

He added there is "very little" information about what happen to them, reports Le Parisian.

4 Store manager Fang Bin uploaded a video of bodies outside a hospital before vanishing on February 8

Mr Haski said: "The authorities may keep them until the subject of the health crisis becomes less hot.

"In this case, one could imagine that they will be released within a few weeks, but this remains unlikely.

"The other more usual scenario would be to hear more about them for a while.

"Then we will learn within six months that they have been indicted for subversion."

Dr Ai Fen - the emergency director of Wuhan Hospital - also vanished after she criticised the regime's censorship of the coronavirus epidemic in a Chinese magazine last month.

She has since however reportedly returned to work this weekend after disappearing for two weeks.

Meanwhile, millionaire businessman Ren Zhiqiang vanished after calling Chinese president Xi Jinping a "clown".

He was missing for a month, but Chinese authorities confirmed last week was being investigated for "violation of the law and discipline".

4 Wuhan medic Dr Ai Fen went missing for two weeks but has now reportedly returned to work Credit: Weibo

4 Ren Zhiqiang vanished after criticising Xi Jinping - he is reportedly facing charges Credit: Getty Images - Getty

China has been heavily criticised for its handling of the outbreak - with it emerging this week a leading Chinese scientist was "muzzled" after identifying Covid-19.

It is feared the regime attempted to downplay the virus as the outbreak took hold - giving incorrect information to the international community that allowed the virus to spread round the globe.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also come under fire as US President Donald Trump cut funding for the agency accusing them of being "China-centric".

WHO has been accused of mismanaging the outbreak by acting too slowly and being biased towards China.

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Covid-19 has now spread around the world as the global infection figures surpassed 2million.

The US remains the worst impacted country, with more than 614,000 cases and 26,000 deaths.

China meanwhile has declared victory over the virus, but over the last few days has reported a flurry of new cases.

Meanwhile, Taiwan accused WHO of ignoring an early warning it sent on December 31 about a new virus emerging in China.

Coronavirus cases worldwide have surged past 2million