Lyu Lieyang is a doctor of the oncology department of Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. [China Women's News]

Yuan Miao, Lyu Lieyang's husband, is a police officer fighting the novel coronavirus on the frontline. [China Women's News]

Lyu Lieyang and her husband Yuan Miao had not met each other for half a month until they had a brief reunion on February 8. Their separation was due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province.

The couple had been working for the COVID-19 prevention and control on the frontline for weeks and Lyu was designated for home isolation for medical observation as she was suspected of being infected with the virus.

Lyu is a doctor of the oncology department of Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She was assigned to work at the fever clinic after the epidemic outbreak.

On January 24, Yuan told his wife that he would go to work at the railway station the next day, just as Lyu sent him a message that she would be on a 24-hour shift at the hospital. 

Lyu kept busy giving medical services to about 50 or 60 patients, checking CT images and results of blood samples with great patience. Her mild tone helped ease the patients' anxieties and fears.

Lyu could not go home, so she could only have a video call with her husband once a day. 

Yuan said he heard her cry on the phone, adding that she did not cry out of fear but because she felt helpless caring for so many patients.

On February 2, Lyu felt sick and even vomited. She was suspected of being infected with COVID-19 and was asked to quarantine herself at home for medical observation.

However, Yuan still stayed at his post, patrolling the railway station, checking entrances and exits at communities, and transferring patients with his colleagues.

He was assigned to screen patients in a community on February 16 and was then dispatched to a mobile cabin hospital in Wuhan on February 19.

According to Yuan, because there were not many police officers in the cabin hospital with a large number of patients, their tasks were arduous. 

He said the patients were generally in an optimistic mood with the efforts of medical staff, and some patients also volunteered to keep order, which helped them a lot.

They definitely felt some pressure, but the optimistic patients helped ease their anxiety so they could do their jobs as usual, Yuan said.

In a recent phone interview, Yuan said his wife had been ruled out from infection and no longer required medical observation. Lyu said she is ready to return to her post.

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)