Child cured after virus infection released from hospital, parents remain under treatment

A 12-year-old child was discharged from the hospital after 9 days of treatment in Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou on Thursday.

Qi Qi (not her real name) was discharged after tests for novel coronavius were negative twice, said Gong Sitang, deputy president of the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center.

"The hospital has now entrusted the local civil affairs bureau and neighborhood committee to help look after Qi Qi and report daily her health conditions in the coming weeks, while her parents are still in isolated wards for treatment," Gong said.

The girl returned to Guangzhou with her parents from Central China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, on Jan 22, and she and her parents developed the symptoms of fever and a runny nose on Jan 26, Gong told members of the media at a news conference on Thursday.

Qi Qi tested positive for novel coronavirus twice on Jan 27 and 28 and she was immediately sent to Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center for isolated treatment, while her parents are isolated at Guangzhou No. 8 People' Hospital for treatment, said Gong Sitang, deputy president of center.

"The girl was brave after she was isolated for treatment in the hospital," said Gong.

"Aunts, you can rest assured I will have no fear with the company of these gifts I've received," Qi Qi was quoted as saying, by Gong.

The girl, who is very good at her studies, said nurses took turns looking after her and bought her books, building blocks and other toys, according to Gong.

Meanwhile the hospital kitchen cooked special nutritious meals, including chicken soup, eggs, milk and fruit, for her every day, said Gong.

In addition to wearing masks and paying attention to personal hygiene, Gong urged parents to let their children drink at least 500 milliliters of milk and eat one egg everyday to increase nutrition to prevent them from being infected with the novel coronavirus.

"Infants who are younger than 6 months old should be fed with breast milk," he said.

Gong's center has received six juvenile pneumonia patients caused by the novel coronavirus, so far.

They include a three-month-old infant who was transferred to the center from Chaozhou city in the eastern part of Guangdong on Wednesday night.