Lungs damaged by nCoV infection, Ms. Zhang was extremely breathless and felt like she was about to die in the Singapore National Infectious Diseases Center.

Zhang, 47, a Singaporean citizen, has lived in the island nation for more than 20 years, leaving the hospital on February 16 after more than two weeks of battling coronary pneumonia. The Singapore Ministry of Health says she is the 15th case of the disease in the country.

Ms. Zhang and her husband and son were among the 92 Singaporeans evacuated from Wuhan on January 30. She had no symptoms on the plane leaving Wuhan, but the results of a medical examination at Singapore airport later showed that she had a fever. Zhang was immediately taken by an ambulance to the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

Zhang said her condition worsened very quickly. "I was scared. They inserted oxygen tubes into my nose and increased the oxygen concentration so I could breathe. But because my lungs were not working well, it didn't work."

"I vividly remember the day I was extremely short of breath and felt like I was about to die. I thought: How am I really going to die," Ms. Zhang added.

She was quickly transferred to NCID intensive care and treated by doctors and nurses here.

"At that time I couldn't walk, but my mind was clear. I heard them clearly. A doctor kept my head, telling me not to worry. She said: 'Don't worry, we'll thread the tube. so she can breathe. 'She always reassured me. She really is a very gentle woman, "she said.

Her husband is not infected with the virus, but the son is positive for nCoV and is being treated at NCID. The boy has not yet removed the virus but has no symptoms.

"I felt a little comforting to think that as a mother, I raised my children healthy so that my children could fight the virus better," Zhang said, but admitted that the epidemic put her family at risk. "When I left the intensive care unit, my husband said that he had insomnia for many nights. I knew if I was in his position, I would collapse too."

Ms. Zhang expressed her gratitude to the medical staff at NCID for treating her like a family member and encouraging her every day. She is planning to return to her daily life, go to the gym with friends, shop, drink coffee, cook dinner for her husband and children.

For other patients being treated, she did not forget to send encouragement and encouragement to them. "We have to overcome. We have family and friends. This disease does not mean the inevitable death. I believe in our medical team and their skills. I believe they can save us, "she added.

The outbreak of corona pneumonia (Covid-19) broke out in Wuhan, China in December 2019, now has appeared in 27 countries and territories, causing 1,775 deaths, 71,330 people infected. Singapore recorded 54 cases, most of them still in hospital but the condition is stable or improved.