Caught off guard

By early March, more than 3,000 Chinese medical workers had become infected, many as a result of inadequate protection.

At the start, people knew little about the transmissibility of the virus. That lack of knowledge helped spread the infection.

On Jan 22, Yu Mingfeng, a 34-year-old nurse in the intensive care unit at Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital, was confirmed as being infected. At work, she had only worn a surgical mask, the lowest level of protection in the ICU.

"At first I thought I just had a cold," she said, adding that people knew little about the virus and didn't expect it to spread the way it did.

"I got muddled and terrified the moment I knew the diagnosis," said Yu, who has a 4-year-old daughter. Her first concern was whether she had infected family or colleagues.

Luckily, the infection was discovered before the onset of fever, which signals that the virus has become highly infectious. No one close to Yu came down with the illness.

There's no specific medication for the coronavirus yet, but Yu stressed the importance of a positive mental attitude to help natural immunity fight the disease.

She recalled a 40-something fellow patient in the isolation ward, who came close to panicking when she noticed doctors cutting back on her medication.

"I told her that it was a sign of recovery," Yu said. As the conversation unfolded, the woman learned that Yu was a nurse. "I encouraged her to stay positive and trust the doctors," Yu said.

The woman was relieved. "The encouragement and companionship helped us defeat the virus," Yu said. She praised the Beijing medical team that treated her.

"They came all the way to Wuhan," she said. "Some told me they could hardly understand patients with Hubei accents. They also had trouble acclimatizing to the cold, moist winter climate."

One nurse from Beijing posted a note on the wall of Yu's ward: "Staying optimistic is the beginning of any treatment. Your recovery is our happiness. Let's fight together!"

On Feb 13, Yu was pronounced clear of the infection and discharged from the hospital. After being quarantined at home, she has almost recovered and is waiting for confirmation to return to work.