Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Asia Wire Report
A Wuhan hospital doctor saw his hands turn red and swollen after working gruelling long shifts in the lab wearing rubber gloves while helping to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Chen Jun, deputy director of the research department at the Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital in the eastern Chinese province of Hubei, said that he spends over 12 hours a day in the lab.
The dedicated doctor, who has worked at the hospital for 19 years, said that his lab team usually carries out two rounds of six-hour tests twice a day.
However, due to the severity of the outbreak, Jun and his team often work past 12 hours and keep going until 2 or 3am every day, according to local media.
Researchers have to wear high-protective gear the whole time they’re in the lab as they are often in close proximity to the virus, according to local media.
The long shifts have reportedly left Jun’s hands completely red and swollen with flaky skin and a rash caused by the lack of air reaching them, a condition known as erythema.
However, the brave medic said: “I cannot flinch, there are still so many people waiting for these results. I have to stick it out.”
The doctor added that wearing airtight rubber gloves for long periods of time can affect the skin and that many hospital workers are battling skin irritation and inflammation.
Hospital workers usually take very short breaks to medicate themselves or bandage their hands before returning to the fray.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
