Dong Fang, a doctor at Wuhan Third Hospital in Hubei province, has come under growing pressure as the number of novel coronavirus cases continues to rise in the city, the epicenter of the outbreak. As a result, she has been taking sleeping pills for the past seven days simply to get some rest.

The 39-year-old is worried about the shortage of beds in the hospital, timely supplies of protective garments for her subordinates and the health of her husband, a doctor who became infected with the virus at work.

Because the couple had been busy treating patients separately, it wasn't until Jan 19 that Dong learned that her husband, who works at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, had been infected and isolated.

It was Dong's birthday, and her husband had a cake delivered decorated with a cartoon doctor. The gift also included a message informing her of his illness.

"He said that he had been infected the day before. He had planned to celebrate with me at home and didn't expect to find himself in hospital," Dong said, with a sob.

As her sons were at their grandparents' house, Dong was at home alone, so she ate some of the cake while having a video chat with her husband.

Dong hasn't been involved in her husband's treatment; instead she has been working around the clock at her hospital, sometimes putting in 72 hours at a stretch.

The spread of the virus in Wuhan surged in late January. People panicked and crowds of patients with fever sought beds in hospitals around the city. Seriously ill or not, some refused to leave the hospitals even when they were told that no more beds were available.