Nurses Going to Wuhan Are Shaving Their Heads to Avoid Cross-Contamination
By Ryan General
Nurses on the front lines of the novel coronavirus outbreak have decided to shave their heads in an attempt to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
In a video clip uploaded on Twitter by People’s Daily, nurses from Shaanxi Province can be seen shaving their heads before they are sent to hospitals in Wuhan, China.
Being bald not only reduces the potential spread of pathogens but also makes it easier to put on and take off protective hazmat suits.
One nurse at the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University named Shan Xia shaved off all her hair at the end of January in preparation.
Besides shaving their heads, the medical staff in Wuhan are making other sacrifices to attend to the increasing number of cases. For instance, some members of the hospital staff are skipping bathroom breaks by wearing adult diapers in order to save time to care for more patients.
The medical staff also endured being exposed to different chemicals and disinfectants, leaving some with irritated skin. Others have marks on their face from wearing protective masks for long periods of time. Doctors are constantly facing heavy physical and emotional toll as they try to contain the outbreak, according to the Washington Post.
“I think it is a strain for every doctor and every nurse in Wuhan, both physically and mentally,” Chinese therapist Candice Qin said. “We know that patients are worried, but we should bear in mind that doctors are just as human as well.”
As of this writing, the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV or Wuhan coronavirus) has now spread to 28 countries and territories worldwide, with 43,105 confirmed cases, 1,018 deaths, and 4,043 recoveries.
Feature Image via Xinhua News
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