Chimney’s Brush With a Deadly Virus Has '9-1-1' Fans Worried He’s Leaving

When viewers tuned into the first half of 9-1-1’s two-part thriller titled "Contagion" on April 10, 2025, they probably figured they were in for a wild ride. But no one was ready for just how fast things would spiral. Now, one beloved character is suddenly poised for an exit: Howie "Chimney" Han (Kenneth Choi).

Chimney contracts a fast-acting virus spread by scientist-turned-villain Moira (Bridget Regan), and not long after, he’s spewing blood from his nose and mouth. And we all know when that happens, things aren’t looking too good for that person. So, is this really the end for Chimney? Has his story finally come to a close? Here’s everything we know about his fate on 9-1-1.

Kenneth Choi hasn’t said anything about his character leaving the 118, and considering the major role he plays as Maddie Han’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) husband, it seems unlikely that his story is finished. Plus, 9-1-1 has been renewed for a ninth season, set to run 18 episodes, as reported by Deadline.

Honestly, losing Chimney, whether by death or some sudden off-screen assignment, would be a major blow and feel very left field, especially given everything he’s endured and survived.

Kenneth also regularly shares lighthearted behind-the-scenes clips with the cast, like the time Jennifer smashed his face into a cake — hardly the behavior of someone gearing up to say goodbye.

For now, it doesn't appear that Chimney is leaving 9-1-1, but there is a chance he could after what happened in the first part of the "Contagion" thriller.

It’s not clear yet if Chimney dies in 9-1-1. Maybe the reason fans are speculating about his possible exit is that he’s literally on the brink of death in the "Contagion" episode.

After the first half of the thriller aired, viewers learned that Moira had been experimenting on a virus known as "Ebola’s nastier cousin." Without permission, she kept pushing forward, allowing it to grow increasingly strong in a short period of time. When her boss found out what she’d been doing, Moira disappeared, but not before setting fire to the lab, which, of course, brought the 118 to the scene, including Chimney.

Upon their arrival at the burning lab, things take a sharp turn south — fast. Not only does Chimney start showing symptoms of the virus, which quickly go from mild to full-blown terrifying, but Henrietta "Hen" Wilson (Aisha Hinds) also suffers a collapsed lung. With Chimney getting worse by the minute, he can’t operate on Hen himself, but he manages to talk Bobby through the steps to save her. Thankfully, Bobby pulls it off.

The silver lining is that there is a cure for the deadly virus Moira cooked up. But the bad news? The Army won’t sign off on using it. So, Ravi decides to take matters into his own hands and opens the canister anyway. But in true dramatic TV fashion, the canister’s empty — and yep, Moira got away with the cure in her possession. So, it looks like fans will have to wait until the second part of the "Contagion" thriller, airing April 17, 2025, to find out if Chimney really dies in 9-1-1.