Chinese medical workers wearing protective gear on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan have been wearing adult diapers to relieve themselves during their grueling shifts, according to a report.
“When doctors and nurses are in the ward, they cannot eat, drink or go to the bathroom,” Han Ding, deputy director of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, said in Wuhan, the South China Morning Post reported.
“Just in case they must urinate, they [wear a] diaper, and wash up after they’re done with their shift,” added Han, one of hundreds of doctors sent to help medical efforts in the epicenter city.
As of Thursday, the disease — known as Covid-19 — has killed at least 1,370 people and infected more than 50,000 others.
The workers also must cope with skin irritations from their protective masks, according to the news outlet.
“Wearing the protective suits is extremely uncomfortable,” said Ma Xin, deputy dean of Huashan Hospital in Shanghai.
“Sometimes I want to itch, but we absolutely cannot do that, so we just have to bear it. Our doctors and nurses all have signs of irritation and even bloody marks on the bridges of their noses,” she added.
Nurses were working shifts of up to six straight hours in intensive care units, while doctors were working up to eight hours and even longer, Han said.