- A Wuhan nurse has quarantined herself away from her family so she doesn't risk exposing them to the new COVID-19 virus, CGTN, a state-linked station in China reported.
- The woman's husband drives behind her as she walks to work at 3:00 a.m. to light the path with his head beams.
- This is just one example of the extreme sacrifices by Chinese health workers during the outbreak.
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A nurse working in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus outbreak has quarantined herself so she does not potentially expose her family to the novel coronavirus, the Shanghaiist wrote.
CGTN, or China Global Television Network, a state-linked media outlet, uploaded the video to YouTube. It shows the women, Wang Xiaoting, reportedly walking to work at 3:00 am local time. Her husband Wang Yinghe, is apparently driving behind her to light her path.
Xiaoting is staying at a hotel, the CGTN video says, and she refuses to allow her husband to drive her to work. Instead she walks, and Yinghe drives behind her, according to the video.
"Even if the disease keeps them apart, he will protect her from as close as possible," CGTN says in the caption.
The couple use video chat to talk to each other, CGTN says, and Yinghe makes sure his wife has a cooked meal waiting for her at her hotel room when she gets back.
The situation shows the extreme lengths the medical community - on the frontlines of this outbreak - are taking to stop the spread, even in their personal lives.
Official reports claim 500 medical workers in Wuhan have been diagnosed with the virus, and another 600 are suspected of having it. Other reports on social media said that over a thousand health care workers could have contracted the virus.
Three health care workers have already died from the virus, including Li Wenliang, the doctor who was censored and punished by Chinese authorities for sounding the alarm about the virus.
In another example of sacrifices, nurses have shaved their heads to limit the spread of the virus. Shaved heads make it less likely for the virus to spread by catching on to exposed hair and easier for put on protective gear.
According to Business Insider, health care workers from other parts of the country parted ways from their families and volunteered to work in Wuhan hospitals.
During the outbreak, hospital staff have faced a shortage of supplies and protective gear, and some have resorted to wearing adult diapers to avoid having to take off hazmat suits.
Some staff posted videos on social media of hospitals that had shortages of food.
So far more than 1,400 people have died and 64,000 have been infected.
- Read more:
- More than 500 healthcare workers in Wuhan have gotten the coronavirus. One study found that 29% of infections were in medical staff.
- Thousands of Chinese doctors volunteered for the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak. They are overwhelmed, under-equipped, exhausted, and even dying.
- Thousands of Chinese doctors volunteered for the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak. They are overwhelmed, under-equipped, exhausted, and even dying.
- Chinese nurses heading to Wuhan are shaving their heads to treat coronavirus patients because long hair can spread the disease