Lu Jing hasn't gone home for three weeks, scrambling for medical supplies that his nurse wife and the doctor father need in the coronavirus ward.

For him, there is no glutinous rice dumplings, and no time for family for this year's Lantern Festival, traditionally the first day for family reunions.

"We have never experienced such harsh conditions, with severe shortage," the logistics personnel in Wuhan No. 5 Hospital said. "Factories were almost closed before the Chinese New Year. I had to find some after the midnight."

The local health agency called him twice on one night to fetch supplies, but the ones he found did not meet the medical standards. After getting the third call, he rushed to the airport at 2 a.m., but failed again after waiting for three hours.

More donations came in a week later, and Lu became busier.

"I didn't enter the bedroom when I went back around 4 a.m., because my wife had to wake up to work at 8 a.m. So, I sat on the walkway for another three hours."

Some days, Lu and her colleagues have to use their gowns for more than eight hours, and skip meals.

"We didn't realize the seriousness of the epidemic. The number of patients surged, frustration and risk were high," said Huang Dan, an ICU nurse. "But I told myself that I had to be strong, as there are two other family members with me. I have been giving them hope and confidence."

It was the Chinese New Year's Eve, when Lu's father, a doctor with 38 years of experience, cried.

"We had a large number of patients that day, and it was quite difficult to receive more," Lu Xiaoming said. "I felt terrible when I looked into their eyes. But I managed to control myself to continue our fight against this epidemic.”

Yang Hong is also one of the medical workers who have spent weeks without seeing their families.

She called her family hours before her shift began that very evening. The most important thing that Yang tells her family is to wear their masks. Her two sons, aged eight and three, are staying with their grandfather in Huanggang, another virus-hit city near Wuhan.

Her husband, a local civic servant, soon hanged off to go to a meeting, and Yang called to check on a patient. The patient Huang was infected while working as a volunteer driver.

Huang said he felt much better days later, and Yang replied "tomorrow will be better."

"Since our colleagues, friends and others got infected and then recovered, we hope our efforts can help more people to have healthy reunions."

Yang said all medical workers are racing against time.

No matter how hard and tiring it is on a day like the Lantern Festival, doctor Lu said his family wants to help patients and put an end to the outbreak as soon as possible.

"That's our greatest wish," he added.

(Cover photo: Doctor Lu Xiaoming expresses his best wishes before entering the ward on the day of the Lantern Festival. /CGTN Photo)