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The warm hearts behind cold masks

By He Na, Wang Zhuoqiong, Xin Dingding and Ju Chuanjiang (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-21 10:11

Feeling an urgent need to use the toilet is the last thing you want when you are wrapped in a heavy-duty protective suit that takes you at least five minutes to put on and take off.

The nurses working at the No 2 infection subdivision at Beijing Ditan Hospital can tell you all about it.

Liu Xin (right), a nurse from the No 2 infection subdivision of Beijing Ditan Hospital, wears the special protective outfit before entering the isolation ward. [China Daily] More Photos

Since the morning of May 2, when 14 people were quarantined after coming into close contact with an A(H1N1) influenza patient, cutting down on their daily water intake has been just one of the challenges they have had to endure.

The disposable protective outfits medics must wear include an insulated anti-exposure body suit, two pairs of gloves, a mask, shoe covers and eye protection.

"Each time I peel the suit off after a day's work, it is glued to my skin with sweat," said nurse Liu Xin, who is tasked with regularly checking on the patients under observation and reporting any changes in their temperature or blood pressure to the health authorities.

As more suspected cases of the H1N1 virus come to light, more and more people are put in quarantine to stop the spread of infection among the general population.

Ditan Hospital is regarded as having the capital's best quarantine facilities and equipment, and also played a major role after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, as well as deals regularly with cases of hand-foot-mouth disease.

And compared to the devastating SARS epidemic, Liu said the new strain of the H1N1 flu was a piece of cake.

"I would be lying if I said we are not tired, but the difference between treating SARS and this is that most people under observation are healthy, so more of our time is actually spent alleviating their psychological burden and anxiety," she said, explaining staff at the hospital had tried various ways to cheer up their charges.

"One girl was so depressed she refused to eat and drink when she first arrived," said Liu. "She would just stare endlessly out the window of the observation room. But a nurse chatted with her for almost a day and, after that, she got much better."

Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. Patient Yang Wei, who was discharged from quarantine on Tuesday, told China Daily: "I have been deeply moved by the medical staff's behavior during my three days under observation. They did more than a nurse or doctor normally would.

"They were not only concerned about my physical condition, but also took care of my daily meals and even bought newspapers and fashion magazines for me."

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