A couple from Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, was recently recognized as a national model for their efforts in the fight against COVID-2019. 

A total of 660 couples across the country won the honor.

Two of the recipients were Yang Xi, deputy head of the department of respiratory and critical care medicine at the Taizhou Central Hospital, and her husband Cheng Fei, a police officer at the Taizhou Municipal Bureau of Public Security. 

Yang was among the first groups of medics to be sent from Zhejiang to offer medical support in Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first reported. She was assigned to support the Wuhan No 4 People's Hospital. 

During her stay in Wuhan, Yang had to work 15 hours per day, and the protective gowns and face masks she was required to wear made her work particularly taxing. 

"With every step I took, I could hear the echoes of my own breath through my protective clothing, and it was harder than usual to walk. It felt like being out of breath after running 800 meters," recounted Yang.

As a police officer, Cheng also worked on the frontlines of the anti-virus battle. He was responsible for inspection work at several checkpoints on the city's highways. 

When speaking about the honor, the couple said they were just fulfilling their duties and doing what they had to do.