Meanwhile, Tie has been tending to patients in the hospital. She has insisted that she won't see her family until the outbreak has been overcome.

The couple's only contact is via video chats they fit in amid their busy work schedules.

Yan has installed a camera at home so they can see their son and parents.

Every two weeks, he goes shopping for groceries for the family. To avoid close contact, he leaves the shopping bags at the door and the grandparents usually take them into the apartment when he has left.

Once, when Yan left the shopping at the door, his son saw him and cried out for a hug. To ensure the child's safety, though, Yan had to turn his back on the boy and walk to the elevator.

"My wife and I have agreed that we will have a family reunion meal after the outbreak to make up for our lost Spring Festival dinner," he said.