After spending about four days at the hospital, she thought she had fully recovered, but her test result was positive.

"I was about to collapse in a remote area of the hospital. However, Pan Tong, a police officer working for the Dongxi Lake Public Security Bureau in Wuhan, comforted me. We became good friends, and the moment I tested negative, I shared my result with him."

Huang said she preferred not to phone her parents while she was in hospital. "It was not because I didn't miss them, but I was worried I would burst into tears if I heard their voices," she said.

Although most of her friends and classmates at Wuhan No 39 High School kept in close touch with her, she heard that some parents had told their children to stay away from her.

"That saddened me, but I didn't take it seriously. Most people treated me well, and it was fun that many of my classmates mentioned me in their essays for the exam," she said.

Huang said she plans to get a driver's license, take a part-time job and lose weight during the summer break.

Online classes

Miradil, a 19-year-old studying at Donghu Middle School in Wuhan, said he wants to stay in the city after graduating from college.

He comes from Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and has lived in Wuhan since September 2016.

"There are 38 students in my class and I am the only non-local," he said. "I took online classes by myself when all the schools in the city were closed during the outbreak.

"The playground was off-limits because teachers were afraid that some students might need hospital treatment if they injured themselves while exercising. I checked my temperature three times a day and maintained social distancing while having lunch at a cafeteria."

Miradil said he was occasionally unable to concentrate on his books, as too much time was allocated for self-study. In March, he sometimes forgot to eat as he focused on doing more homework.

"My physics teacher Bai Longhai visited me every day. He bought me bread and milk, and we played basketball," he said.

Miradil said his parents are not unduly worried about him staying in Wuhan. The journey to his hometown takes more than 40 hours by train and bus.

"They were anxious about the virus at first, but they know I can take care of myself. I phoned about twice a week to reassure them and tell them funny stories about my life. I also encouraged my young brother to attend college in a big city."

Miradil said he wants to major in computer sciences and software engineering at college and hopes to be admitted to Wuhan University of Technology.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Wuhan and Hubei province will become stronger," he said.

Reduced to tears

Unlike Miradil, who is independent and used to studying alone, Munira, 19, who also comes from Kashgar, said she cried a lot when she first arrived in Wuhan to study.