A cartoon Li Xinxing drew while being treated for novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan Ninth Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province. (Photo: China Daily)

Drawing cartoons was how 32-year-old Li Xinxing, who is recovering from novel coronavirus pneumonia, encouraged herself and expressed her gratitude to medical workers when she was in hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province.

A social worker from the city, Li had recorded her daily life by drawing cartoons and sharing her work with friends before she fell ill.

"Life was peaceful till Jan 20 when I started to feel sick at night," she said. "I had a fever and my body temperature rose to 38.5 C the next day."

Li went to the hospital. She took medication for a week but her symptoms remained. "I had shortness of breath back then, with a rough cough and fatigue."

Thankfully, Wuhan Ninth Hospital, a designated epidemic treatment facility, received her on Jan 29, she said. A CT scan showed that her lungs were severely infected. The day after being hospitalized, she was given the nucleic acid test, and two days later it was confirmed she was infected with the novel coronavirus.

"I was filled with terror, worrying that I could't get over the disease. It was stressful at the very beginning," she said.