When the coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, China, CGTN's Zhao Yunfei was among the first reporters heading to the city to cover the story. Later, as the epicenter of the crisis moved to Europe, Rahul Pathak covered the pandemic from Madrid, Spain.

The two reporters have shared their experiences in a live discussion that you can watch here.

Zhao recalls that, with hindsight, he had no idea how big the story would become, remembering on his first day that he expected everything to get back to normal after the Lunar New Year holiday. Pathak remembers as the news broke of the seriousness of the situation in Spain, he could see the streets emptying from his window.

Both have seen and heard stories of great courage and heroism – from healthcare workers, but also the population in general. And both have witnessed moments of extreme pain.