Chen Qingbo, one of the first patients to be discharged from hospital after recovering from novel coronavirus infection, has returned to the institution where he was cared for to donate plasma.

Chen's story of optimism and confidence in overcoming the disease has been told on CCTV-1 News to encourage other patients.

"I don't have any symptoms now," Chen said. He is now doing exercises every day and fully recovered. Every three days, he goes to the supermarket near his home to buy vegetables, fruits and other daily necessities as well as snacks for his children.

"The food available in the supermarket is very complete and the price is not expensive," Chen said.

His life has gradually returned to normal, but in early January, the 42-year-old was diagnosed with the COVID-19 and admitted to Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, where he was once in critical condition.

Dr. Xia Jiaan said Chen came to the hospital in really bad condition; his lowest oxygen saturation was only 85 percent.

"I was very nervous and worried, and the doctors and nurses kept encouraging me. The care of my family and friends gave me the confidence to overcome the disease. I began to face it actively," Chen recalled.

His condition gradually improved after seven days thanks to the unremitting efforts of the medical staff and his cooperation.

He has been discharged for a month now, and his recovery was tracked by Xia, who regularly asks about his fever, cough, asthma and other symptoms. The doctor said he was so happy to see him full recovered.

After Chen heard that a recovered patient's plasma might be helpful in the treatment of severe COVID-19, he volunteered to visit the hospital to donate 400ml of his own. He wanted to use his treatment story to cheer on patients who were healing.

"We need to believe in ourselves, believe in the doctor, scientific treatment, and we need to have a positive, optimistic attitude to face, to overcome the disease. We are standing there together, we are all working very hard, we need to be confident. So, just hang in there," he said.