Former Chinese rowing world champion Pei Jiayun loses her husband to coronavirus
- Pei, the 1993 world champion, spends 14 days in quarantine in Wuhan
- Olympian’s son and mother-in-law also diagnosed with the disease but are recovering
Like everyone in Wuhan and beyond, life will never be the same for former rowing world champion Pei Jiayun, who has lost her husband, Liu Weidong, also a rower, to the coronavirus.
When the epidemic hit Wuhan, the retired rower and her family were exposed to the virus. On February 1, Pei, Liu and Liu’s mother went to hospital for a nucleic acid test after some coughing and fever but two days later Liu died at home before the test results were known.
While Pei, 49, was still mourning the sudden death, her son, Liu Liwei, also developed a high fever and just two days after the passing away of his father, the 20-year-old was sent to hospital and diagnosed with coronavirus.
Pei was assigned to a hotel for a 14-day period of quarantine, along with her mother-in-law. The older woman’s condition deteriorated but it was not until February 12 that she became a confirmed case. Liu’s mother was sent to the newly built Huoshehshan Hospital, while Pei remained in quarantine.
Pei is about to end her isolation and the condition of both her son and mother-in-law has been improving. The tough-minded ex-athlete said she drew strength from memories of the hardships of her younger days, born into a poor farmer’s family in another Hubei city, Huanggang, before leaving for provincial capital Wuhan at the age of 15 to try rowing.
