Chinese Doctors' Skin Color Turn Black after Recovering from Covid-19

Two Chinese doctors who were infected with Covid-19 while treating patients in Wuhan have had their skin turn dark after recovering from the virus.

The two; Dr. Yi Fan and Dr. Hu Weifeng, both 42, were diagnosed with Covid-19 on January 18th while working at the Wuhan Central Hospital.

Their skin color turned black due to what is believed to be hormonal imbalance after their livers were damaged by the virus, according to Chinese state media CCTV.

But one of the doctors suspects the change in their skin color was due to a specific drug administered to them at the beginning of their treatment.

Yi, a cardiologist, was connected to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support machine for 39 days. The machine pumps and oxygenates a patient’s blood outside the body and is similar to the heart-lung bypass machine used in open-heart surgery.

“When I first gained consciousness, especially after I got to know about my condition, I felt scared. I had nightmares often,” Yi told CCTV from his hospital bed.

On the other hand, Hu—a urologist—has been bedridden for 99 days and is still not stable after undergoing ECMO therapy, his doctor Dr. Li Shusheng said.

Shusheng said Hu only regained his ability to speak on April 11th and the two doctors are expected to regain their normal color once their liver functions improve.

The two are presently receiving mental health support due to the traumatic experiences they have endured.