Although repeated COVID-19 examinations validated that Mr Cui had actually recouped from the infection, the damage to his lungs implied he can not take a breath on his very own.

On 20 April, Mr Cui was transferred to a negative stress operating theatre, where medics in complete hazmat equipment performed a six-hour dual lung transplant.

Hospital supervisor Wang Gaohua said Mr Cui is Hubei’s initial patient to get a lung transplant for end-stage pulmonary fibrosis adhering to a healing from COVID-19.

Mr Cui had started showing coronavirus symptoms on 23 January and was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on 7 February.

His condition got worse and on 17 February, he was put on a ventilator at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital, in the capital of Hubei Province in Central China.

He was put on the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) artificial lung machine the next day.

Sadly, his condition carried on getting worse, and he was then transferred to the east branch of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University on 18 March.

Although repeated COVID-19 tests confirmed that Mr Cui had recovered from the virus, the damage to his lungs meant he could not breathe on his own. He had developed severe pulmonary fibrosis – damage and scarring of lung tissue due to disease.

The man’s only chance of survival was to undergo a double lung transplant. A set of the compatible vital organs were flown to Wuhan from Yunnan Province in south-western China.

On 20 April, Mr Cui was transferred to a negative pressure operating theatre, where medics in full hazmat gear performed a six-hour double lung transplant.

Head cardiothoracic surgeon Lin Huiqing said: “End-stage COVID-19 lung transplants are very high risk.

“Health workers who took part in the surgery were basically unable to communicate with words because of the positive-pressure headgear we were wearing.

“We relied fully on chemistry and experience to complete the procedure.

“It was an extreme challenge both in terms of the precision required and the psychological stress we were under.”

On 22 April, almost two days after Mr Cui’s life support was turned off, it was removed for the first time in 62 days.

He was then fully conscious again two days later. He couldn’t speak properly because of the throat damage caused by more than two months of intubation.

Hospital director Wang Gaohua said Mr Cui is Hubei’s first patient to receive a lung transplant for end-stage pulmonary fibrosis following a recovery from COVID-19.

Mr Wang said: “His muscles had basically atrophied due to his being bedbound for such a long period of time.”

Mr Cui is now receiving physiotherapy to retrain his limbs.

According to reports, Mr Cui was able to sit up and move his arms and legs by Monday 4 May.

He was also able to drink, swallow, cough and vocalise.

He will begin eating by himself today and breathe without oxygen support, but it will be a long period of recovery before he can be discharged, the hospital said.