The mother promised her daughter she will be back soon once the virus is beaten. (Xinhua/ YouTube)
Medical staff in China are at the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus and a video shows that in addition to the physical toll, they are also facing an emotional toll. The video shared by an official news outlet shows a nurse working in a hospital that is treating coronavirus patients giving her daughter an ‘air hug’ since physical contact is forbidden.
In the video, the child who is said to be nine-years-old is seen wearing a mask and in tears while she tells her mother, identified as Liu Haiyan, that she misses her. They then exchange an air hug, with both of them extending their arms.
The girl then leaves a bag with a plate of dumplings on the ground and steps back while her mother collects it. The nurse then tells her daughter to “be good” and that she “is fighting monsters”.
The video had over a million views on YouTube alone after it was shared by Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News. The incident was reportedly recorded at the Fugou County People’s Hospital in Zhoukou located in the Henan Province.
Many reacted to the video to praise how selflessly doctors and nurses were working in the battle against the spread of the virus:
This kid has broken my heart..God be merciful to those suffering…prayers 🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/kYl7sznRvY
— Beautiful World (@Beautif98478301) February 6, 2020
Why is somebody cutting onions in the bloody office?! https://t.co/AJHzlKNPUD
— Hadschi Ahmad (Bucksteeth) (@bucksteeth) February 6, 2020
😢 Love to all the healthcare workers under unimaginable strain, as well as the families missing them #Coronavirus https://t.co/pVtWMGP40S
— jody hazelgrove (@jodyhazelgrove) February 5, 2020
Touching. 💔 May God be with the people of #China ! #CoronaOutbreak https://t.co/5cGcGKmdOb
— ፍሬህይወት ነጋሽ Frehiwot Negash (@FrehiwotNG) February 5, 2020
Kudos to all those who are combating the #corononavirus
“There’s always much more to guts and glory than can ever meet the eye”-Dilip— Coaching For Success – ICF (@CoachIdeas) February 6, 2020
So heartbreaking 😭😭
— rowenacansino (@rowenacansino1) February 6, 2020
Heartbreaking. Hope they stay healthy and are reunited soon.
— Contentious Cake (@CakeKerosene) February 5, 2020
This is so painful. May God help Chinese win this monster. Kudos to the nurse
— John Ohagah (@JojohnJohn1) February 4, 2020
The video comes even as doctor Li Wenliang, died after contracting the very illness he had told medical school classmates about in an online chat room and was punished for. There has been outrage in China over how early virus whistleblowers were punished for spreading falsehoods after Dr Li’s death.
