Gong and her newborn baby boy at the Xiehe Xiyuan hospital affiliated to the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan on February 1 (COURTESY PHOTO)

Smooth birth is not a big news anywhere in the world, but not in the current Wuhan City, the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV outbreak. The news that a woman surnamed Gong, who was infected with the virus, successfully delivered a baby boy on February 1 touched many Chinese people and also brought confidence to pregnant women. 

Gong was infected by her family members just a couple of days before the due date. She contacted some hospitals to deal with both her viral pneumonia and pregnancy. But the hospitals were either short of medical resources or too far away from Gong's home. Given that the city is in a lockdown, it's hard to go to any place far away without a private car. 

"In this special situation, we understand that many (medical) organizations are overloaded. But we hope that there can be an exclusive channel for pregnant women," Gong told Beijing Daily. 

Gong's husband sent a post for help on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter-like platform, arousing social attention instantly. The Xiehe Xiyuan Hospital affiliated to the Huazhong University of Science and Technology admitted Gong on January 31.  

Led by Professor Chen Hui, doctors conducted nucleic acid testing and assessed the fetal development and decided to try vaginal delivery after discussion with Gong's family. 

"There are risks of virus transmission when pregnant women shout and their wounds are exposed," Chen told Changjiang Daily. "The whole delivery process should not be too long." 

The leading group of Wuhan City for Novel Coronavirus Prevention and Control released a document on January 28, asking medical organizations to guarantee pregnant patients' benefits. 

The Xiehe Xiyuan Hospital, one of the designated hospitals for pregnant patients, has been asked to make room for delivery and take preventative measures. 

There are no specific statistics on the number of pregnant women in Wuhan. A WeChat group called "Pregnant Women in Wuhan" established by volunteer Haitun has 200 pregnant members, one-fourth of whom are going to deliver in about a month. Gong is one of the new mothers in the group.  

Volunteers are helping to coordinate resources, filling the information gap between hospitals and patients. Meanwhile, the anxious pregnant women and mothers also feel at ease after communicating with each other and gaining medical advice from obstetricians and nurses who have joined the group. 

After the closure of the city's public transportation, volunteers are also in touch with private drivers who can offer services when needed. 

"If knowing someone is helpful, they may not feel that anxious," Haitun said. 

On February 5, two more babies in Wuhan were detected with 2019-nCoV 30 hours after they were born, but their condition was reportedly not serious.  

Copyedited by Madhusudan Chaubey 

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