London, April 23, 2020 (AltAfrica)-Two Chinese doctors in Wuhan who survived coronavirus after long battles on life support found their skin changed colour as a result of their treatment.

Dr Yi Fan and Dr Hu Weifeng were infected with Covid-19 while treating patients at the Wuhan Central Hospital in January.

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Battling the virus since their diagnoses on January 18, the skin of the two medics, both 42, has turned dark after a long period of treatment.

The change has been attributed to a hormonal imbalance due to liver damage caused by the virus, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Dr Yi, a cardiologist, recovered from the illness after 39 days on a life support machine, while Dr Hu’s condition was described as worse and has left him bed-bound for 99 days.

Dr Yi has been moved onto a ward at Wuhan’s China-Japan Friendship Hospital but Dr Hu, a urologist, is still being looked after in intensive care.

They were both treated with Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a piece of equipment which delivers oxygen into the blood.

Dr Hu’s doctor, Dr Li Shusheng, suspected their skin turned dark as a result of medication they were given early on in their treatment.

He said one of the drug’s side effects is the darkening of the skin colour and said it should return to normal once their livers start functioning properly again.

Dr Yi spoke to broadcaster CCTV from his hospital bed, where he said he had mostly recovered from the infection, but he was struggling to walk independently.

He told a reporter: “When I first gained conscious, especially after I got to know about my condition, I felt scared. I had nightmares often.”

ES