On Friday, Sun Jinzhong, a doctor who had been treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus for the previous 10 days at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, received a video from his wife.

It showed scrolling screenshots of his young daughter video chatting with him and the soundtrack consisted of her reading out her essay called "My father's eyes".

Sun Sihaoxue wrote the essay as homework for the winter vacation. Her father works in Renmin Hospital at Wuhan University, Hubei.

After listening to the essay he was moved to tears, delighted that his daughter understood and supported him.

"I told my daughter that many of my colleagues are also on the front line. They work harder and are in a more dangerous situation than me. They are more admirable," he said.

My father's eyes By Sun Sihaoxue, 8-year-old third grader

My father and I haven't met for a few days. It is due to the horrible novel coronavirus that we can only see each other through video calls on the phone.

Although my father is not a soldier, he is a "warrior" dressed in white in the war against the virus.

He told me that the ward is his battlefield, and it is his duty to fight for, and protect, as many patients as possible.

Today, I video chatted with him again. I saw that he was wearing a blue medical cap and a pair of protective goggles. His nose and mouth were covered by a thick white mask. I could only see his eyes through the goggles. They were full of love, tears, strength, power and courage. I know he's in a dangerous situation, but his eyes seemed to be saying "I'm fine".