---
title: "Chinese Nurses Retract Plea for Aid in Prestigious Medical Journal"
description: "The Lancet just retracted a passionate call for help from two Chinese nurses claiming to fight the coronavirus in Wuhan after learning they originally lied."
date: "2020-02-27"
modified: "2020-02-27"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/chinese-nurses-retract-plea-aid-medical-journal"
categories:
  - "Developments"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Medical"
tags:
  - "coronavirus"
  - "covid19"
  - "wuhan"
---

# Chinese Nurses Retract Plea for Aid in Prestigious Medical Journal

![The Lancet just retracted a passionate call for help from two Chinese nurses claiming to fight the coronavirus in Wuhan after learning they originally lied.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/chinese-nurses-retract-plea-help-prestigious-medical-journal.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: CGTN\</em\>*

On Wednesday, prominent academic journal *The Lancet* [retracted a call for help](<https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30076-0/fulltext>) that had ostensibly been written by Chinese health workers fighting the [coronavirus outbreak](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/glossary-ongoing-coronavirus-outbreaks-vocab>) in Wuhan.

The problem? The journal now says the two authors of [the original article](<https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30065-6/fulltext>) lied, claiming to witness horrifying scenes in understaffed hospitals firsthand.

"Questions regarding the validity of this correspondence were brought to our attention by a number of readers," Jessica Kleyn, a press officer for *The Lancet* told Futurism.

"In addition, we received a direct communication from the authors of this correspondence on 26 February, 2020, stating that the account they described was not first-hand, as they had originally claimed in the correspondence, and that they wished to withdraw the piece," Kleyn added in an email. "Following due process according to the [COPE retraction guidelines](<https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines>), we determined that it was our duty to retract this correspondence."

Futurism [covered about the letter](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/open-letter-wuhan-nurses-global-help>) before it was retracted, describing the grim situation the nurses claimed to be experiencing while they put themselves at risk to treat a growing number of COVID-19 patients.

It's an unfortunate spectacle because a high-profile retraction could take away from the very real problems health workers are facing in Wuhan. Medical workers in Wuhan [are getting sick](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/doctor-warned-viral-outbreak-dies>) [and dying](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/hospital-director-dies-city-coronavirus-originated>) as they try to save thousands of sick patients. Hospitals are overburdened and understaffed, and probably could use some help.

But, per *The Lancet*'s retraction, it seems that nurses Yingchun Zeng and Yan Zhen weren't there to see it — or if they were, their account was editorialized and dramatized, and those creative liberties could detract from the ongoing containment effort.

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)