She said she wanted to help people in need at such a difficult time. In 2008, she experienced the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, when she was a high school student. She saw how people nationwide rallied to help those in her hometown after the disaster.

Wang said the quake claimed more than 240 students' lives at her school when buildings collapsed, but she survived and was helped by a number of people. "Now, it's my turn to lend a hand to others in need," she added.

The lockdown in Wuhan was imposed after the number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia nationwide rose to 291 on Jan 20, including 270 in Hubei. Wuhan, the provincial capital, was the hardest-hit city.

On that day, respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan told the media there was a risk of person-to-person transmission from the contagion.

Also on Jan 20, President Xi Jinping instructed that all-out efforts be made to curb the spread of the epidemic.

The lockdown in Wuhan, the biggest transportation hub in Central China, was imposed in an effort to restrict people's movements in order to contain the epidemic, as the Lunar New Year holiday traditionally heralds massive movements of people nationwide.