Hong Kong nurse says ready to help combat COVID-19 in Wuhan

Special: Battle Against Novel Coronavirus

Amid the battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, Trish, an experienced Hong Kong nurse, said she is ready to head to Wuhan, the epicenter and hardest-hit city in central China, to give a helping hand.

"I want to help combat COVID-19 there as it is a tradition in China that when one is in trouble, all other sides will come to help," Trish, 52, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Trish, a front-line medical worker of a public hospital in Hong Kong, said she feels the responsibility and hopes to serve those in need with her professional skills.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong increased to 53 on Thursday and concerns were on the rise that there may be family outbreaks and spread in the community.

In Wuhan, 3,910 new confirmed cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 35,991. Tremendous efforts have been made to curb the spread of the epidemic, including the city put on lockdown, medical teams sent in, and masks production boosted.

Trish said she is not afraid of and will brave the risks of getting infected. "What I can do is to take precautions, and if it (being infected) does happen, I will face it," Irish said. "It's not a concern."

"I have carefully considered going to Wuhan to help," she said, stressing that the idea came from not only a sense of mission but her love and support for the country.

"I am one of the sons and daughters of the motherland and I really want to put this love into practice," she said.

Trish worked on the front line during the outbreaks of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 flu in 2009 and had experience in various departments from the operating room to the rehabilitation ward during her career.

The seasoned nurse is still looking for ways to join the anti-epidemic fight in Wuhan and said she is confident that China will absolutely win the battle against the virus.

"If I can go, I am ready at any time," Trish said.