Stepping up to the task, running to the front line

"Even with the protective suits and masks on, no one was sure if we were completely safe from infection. But the work had to be done. We knew that regular sanitation would significantly lower the risk of infection in the patients and increase their chances of survival," she says.

Although "Old Qian" was taken off life support on March 20, he remained in a coma and in unstable condition. All Dai could do was carry out her routine and hope for the best.

"I played some music and helped perform some rehabilitation exercises for his legs. It was then I noticed that he blinked," she says.

Dai then went out of her way to care for her patient, giving him a cushion to support his lower back. She believes that this little gesture helped his recovery.

"I never expected that the cushion could have such a strong psychological influence on the patient," Dai recalls."But it really gave him more faith in survival."

Hearing the patient thank her when he could speak was also a particularly moving experience, says Dai. She says she even felt hesitant about having to return to Shanghai after her stint was over on April 6.

"I didn't want to leave. I spent more time with him than any other patient in my career. It felt like leaving behind a family member. I wish I could take care of him until he fully recovers," she says.

When asked about the lessons she has learned from the experience, Dai says she now knows that taking care of a patient is more than just completing the routine procedures without mistakes. Rather, it also involves providing a great deal of psychological support.

"I have also gotten a new perspective on life and death. More importantly, I am more confident than ever in my ability to take good care of my patients," she says.

A total of 458 medical workers under the age of 30 from Shanghai were dispatched to Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak. Dai was among the 55 who joined the Communist Party of China during that period.

"For many years we were well-protected and taken good care of by the adults," says Chen Guoli, a Renji Hospital medical worker, who also became a CPC member during his stint in Wuhan.

"Now it is time for us youngsters born after 1990 to stand up and save the day."