Hundreds of nurses and doctors have been giving all of their strength to battle the coronavirus every day since the start of the outbreak. The novel coronavirus has already killed 1115 people and infected 45,171 globally. The virus has reached 27 countries, but the vast majority of cases have been in China. While it appears that the cases in China are leveling off, the virus is still considered a major threat, with thousands of infected people left in the hands of medical carers. The amount of patients has left nurses and doctors taking extreme measures to treat patients more effectively. One of these measures is shaving their heads to reduce the risk of contamination.

Image credits: XHNews

A video posted by China’s largest newspaper shows nurses from the Shaanxi province shaving their heads before heading out to Wuhan.

Respect! A team of nurses in NW China’s Shaanxi shaved their hair before coming in for duty amid coronavirus outbreak to avoid cross-infection. pic.twitter.com/XpseMgSsg9

— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) February 6, 2020

Long hair can spread pathogens and poses a risk of cross-contamination.

Image credits: XHNews

It also makes it harder to put on and take off protective hazmat suits and masks. Both doctors and nurses try to save time as efficiently as possible, so the decision was made to remove their hair altogether.

Image credits: XHNews

One nurse went viral for going bald at the end of January in preparation to care for coronavirus patients. Shan Xia, a young nurse who works at Wuhan University’s Renmin Hospital, shaved her hair and shared before and after pictures, demonstrating dedication and loyalty to her work.

Image credits: kondekturbus_

Image credits: kondekturbus_

Image credits: kondekturbus_

Other than cutting and shaving their hair, doctors and nurses wear adult diapers so they won’t have to take bathroom breaks during their long and exhausting shifts at hospitals.
The crisis is heavily affecting the medical staff. Nurses and doctors are left with bruises and marks from masks digging into their skin and bleached skin from disinfectant. Many of them suffer from both physical and mental exhaustion.

Candice Qin, a therapist from Beijing, told The Washington Post: “I think it is a strain for every doctor and every nurse in Wuhan, both physically and mentally. We know that patients are worried, but we should bear in mind that doctors are just as human as well.”

People from around the world expressed gratitude to the hard work medical staff has put in

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