Medical workers struggle with heat wave

A medical staffer removes protective clothing after finishing her shift at a public health center in Seoul's Yangcheon District, Wednesday. Daytime temperature in Seoul reached over 30 degrees Celsius on that day. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

An early heat wave here, with daytime temperatures reaching over 30 degrees Celsius, is causing medical staff to struggle as they have to wear full-body protective clothing, goggles and masks to carry out COVID-19 tests and take care of patients.

Teachers and students who are required to wear face masks at all times at schools, and citizens who are asked to do so while using public transportation are also grappling with maintaining safety measures in scorching temperatures amid the prolonged pandemic.

Medical staff who have been fighting on the front lines against the virus are now in an even tougher situation as protective suits make it difficult for them to withstand the fiery heat.

This is raising concerns about the health of medical personnel at a time when sporadic infection clusters have continued.

There has already been a report that three medical staff collapsed in exhaustion in Incheon, Tuesday.

The three were officials from a public health center in Michuhol District, and were carrying out coronavirus tests in the playground of a middle school in the region as one of the students there had been confirmed to have COVID-19.

The region's daytime temperature reached 31 degrees Celsius on that day.

According to officials from the health center, the three were exposed to direct sunlight while working for more than four hours in the playground, and suffered dizziness and heavy headaches before they collapsed.

“It was so hot that I was sweating even when I was sitting still. I cannot even imagine how hard it was for the medical staff,” a 37-year-old office worker in Seoul said. “The government should come up with proper measures to prevent medical personnel from collapsing in the heat wave.”

Regarding the issue, Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said during a daily briefing that the government will immediately provide money for air conditioners at clinics.

“We will also allow the clinics to reduce operations between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., the hottest period of the day,” he said.

Teachers and students are also having a difficult time as they are still being asked to wear face masks at all times in indoor spaces such as classrooms and corridors while the weather is getting hotter.

Elementary, middle and high school students across the country have resumed classes for all student groups as of Monday.

“Our teachers are struggling to wear face masks when conducting classes,” Bukseoul Middle School Vice Principal Koh Cheon-seok said during a meeting with Rep. Kang Min-jung from the Open Democratic Party, Tuesday.

Kang was a teacher at the school before becoming a lawmaker.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 50 new virus cases were detected for Tuesday, raising the nation's total to 11,902.

It marked a rebound after the nation's number of new daily cases hovered below 40 for the second straight day.

Amid continuous infection clusters in Seoul and nearby areas, the health authorities are consider imposing stricter social distancing measures in the capital region.

Two more deaths were reported, bringing the total death tally to 276.