Woman, 85, discharged after 52 days of treatment

So the team's goal was to detach the ventilator from Yu as soon as possible. They then started to carefully adjust her medication and the function of the ventilator. "It was really a good sign to see the role of the ventilator changing from supporting Yu's life to just helping her to breathe better," he said.

On March 28, the team decided to detach the ventilator after detailed assessment. The process went smoothly and Yu started to breathe on her own again. What's more, she smiled, Li said.