B.C. widow wants Canada to confirm whether husband died of COVID-19 in China

A B.C. woman says her husband, a Canadian citizen, has died in China after demonstrating possible symptoms of the novel coronavirus and hopes Global Affairs Canada will fight to discover the truth about his death.

"I feel pushed around," said Aijun Yu, 49, a permanent resident living in Surrey, B.C., by Skype on Monday, with the help of an interpreter. "I don't know what to do."

Yu said her husband, David Zhao, 57, travelled to China on a business trip on Jan. 13 in perfect health. 

Although Zhao never travelled to Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, his boss and colleagues are from the city of Wuhan, she said.

Zhao was vice president of Canada Stewart Energy Group Ltd., and Yu said the company has regular meetings with people from the city of 11 million.

According to what a colleague told Yu's family, her husband was coughing, vomiting and had diarrhea in the days leading up to his death. Yu said she strongly suspects he died of COVID-19.   

"These symptoms are very similar to this virus," she said.

Zhao was later found dead, alone, in the apartment his company pays for. Yu doesn't know the exact date of his death, but suspects it was Jan. 22. 

Church pastor contacted Jan. 23

Yu said she first heard the news about her husband's death from her church pastor, who was contacted by the RCMP on Jan. 23, after being unable to reach Yu. The pastor was listed as Yu's emergency contact.  

That first day, Yu spoke to no one about Zhao's death, except members of her church. The next day, she received a call from Global Affairs Canada, and used a friend to interpret. 

In that conversation, Yu was told that her husband had suffered a "sudden death," she said.

Emails between Yu and Global Affairs show that the initial examination of Zhao's body in China concluded he died of a heart attack. 

Yu alleges that on Jan. 30 she was told by Global Affairs that the "government is willing to help" and that Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian embassy in Beijing could represent her in the search for an autopsy report.

"I want to know the true reason for David's death," she said. 

But the next day, Jan. 31, she was told such authorization could not be granted. Instead, Yu was told she would either have to authorize a family member in China, or the funeral home where Zhao's remains are being kept, to represent her interests for an autopsy. 

'Aijun is under a lot of pressure'

Initially, she was told that a person would have to meet the Chinese officer handling the case in person.

She was also asked by the Chinese police why she wanted to have the autopsy done. The mother of two was told, with Global Affairs acting as intermediary, that if it was simply to find out why Zhao had died, then a nearby forensic centre could do the examination. But if she was specifically trying to find out if he died of COVID-19, then China's Disease Control Centre would handle the case.

Yu said her parents, both in their seventies, are unable to travel to Beijing because of travel bans within the country. She said none of her other family in China can travel to the city.

"Aijun is under a lot of pressure by the Chinese officer, to ask from her, to cremate the body as soon as possible," the interpreter said on Yu's behalf. 

She said the officer has also contacted Yu's mother and repeatedly asked for authorization to cremate the body. Yu hasn't had any direct contact with any Chinese official, she said, and feels uneasy about talking to authorities without Global Affairs representing her interest. 

"She doesn't know what to say or what not to say," the interpreter said. 

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said the department "is aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in China and our thoughts are with the family."

The statement also said "consular officials are in contact with the relatives of the deceased and are providing consular assistance."

The department wouldn't comment further on the case, citing privacy concerns. 

"Canadian consular officials in Beijing, China, remain in contact with local authorities to assist with the request for a post-mortem examination," the spokesperson said.

'Darkest hour'

Yu describes her husband as a caring, family man. She calls losing him, and the past month of fighting to learn more about his death, her "darkest hour."

She said she can't stop thinking about him "lying on a cold place, alone." 

She said she was "devastated."

"There are a lot of things David [was responsible for] doing, like with the family. A lot of things [I] don't even know what to do without David." 

Yu said she's lost without her husband, who often helped her with speaking English. She might have to leave Surrey, uncertain if she'll be able to afford it without her husband's income. 

She said her two children were devastated by the news, but have been comforted by their faith. 

"They know their dad went to heaven," she said.