Students in Hubei province's capital, Wuhan－the city at the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak－are happy to receive drawings with encouraging words from children around their age whom they've never met.

The drawings depict such scenes as delicious Wuhan dishes, super heroes defeating the virus, doctors saving patients and family reunions. They've comforted Wuhan students and warmed their hearts.

Some of the students have become long-distance friends and contact each other over messaging apps, like digital pen pals.

Over 127,600 students from about 30 schools in Wuhan and the Yangtze River Delta have participated in the activity.

The exchange was co-initiated on Jan 29 by Olympic champion and retired gymnast Yang Wei, who's with his family in Wuhan, the city they've made their home.

A dozen volunteers across the country are working on the ongoing public-service project, which involves communicating with schools and editing short videos about students.

Teachers in Wuhan collect their students' names and email addresses, and teachers in other cities pair them with students who wish to participate.

These kids express their good wishes in short videos that they send with their drawings via email, since Wuhan's postal services currently prioritize medical supplies.

All 2,972 students of Wuhan Guanggu No 6 Primary School have received emails from their peers from two primary schools in Suzhou.

Teachers record the temperatures of students and their families twice a day and pay attention to children who are separated from their parents. Some of their parents are suspected, or have been confirmed, to have the virus. Some are medical workers undertaking epidemic-prevention and－control work on the front lines.

"These students' lives are very different from before," Wuhan Guanggu No 6 Primary School headmaster Li Mingju says.

"Such activities can help them take heart."