Grandpa Zhang (R) presents a meal to his wife in their isolation ward. [cnwomen.com.cn]

An 84-year-old man has been staying with his wife and taking care of her in an isolation ward of Huoshenshan Hospital, one of the major makeshift hospitals dedicated to treating the patients infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) in Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak of the NCP and capital city of Central China's Hubei Province, since both of them were transferred there for further medical treatment several days ago.

The elderly man, surnamed Zhang, is a year younger than his wife who is called Granny Yang. She became infected with the contagious disease in the process of nursing him at home.

According to Zhang, they got married in 1958 and he owes much to her for raising their two children and doing household chores in the past.

Speaking in an interview, their son said that Zhang has insisted on living with Yang in the same isolation ward and rushed to attend to her because he often feels guilty about infecting her with the communicable disease and his symptoms are not as serious as hers.

Therefore, Zhang has always attended to Yang to eat before him, alerted medical personnel for assistance and intervention when there are any negative changes in her condition, chatted with her, and offered all the care he can.

Their romantic story was unintentionally discovered by Song Caiping, deputy director of the Nursing Department at Huoshenshan Hospital, during a regular visit to their ward on February 13.

Song gave a thumbs-up to Zhang and pledged that medical workers will work hard to take care of both of them and ensure their discharge as early as possible.

To help them live a better life there, staff workers often instruct Zhang about how to find his wife's favorite TV programs with the remote control.

Medical staff speak highly of their steadfast love over a span of six decades.

Tang Jie, a member of the medical team, said that she has learned much from them and believes that the strength of love will triumph over the ongoing epidemic in the end.

(Source: cnwomen.com.cn/Translated and edited by Women of China)