Risks and rewards from ICU cleaning
Updated 13:48, 01-May-2020
Zhou Jiaxin, Zhu Shuying

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04:19

After working in COVID-19 wards for over 70 days, Chen Ling now knows how to properly clean – not only her hands – but also potentially dangerous medical waste.

The mother of two daughters admits that before, she was not very good at cleaning her own home.

Chen followed the stay-at-home rule in late January when her city Wuhan was experiencing the height of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Information about the situation then was basically negative, with many on social media seeking help and advice," she said. "That motivated me to do something."

Chen didn't hold back once she saw that a hospital was recruiting a medical waste cleaner, adding that her parents were taking care of her daughters and her husband had just gotten a new job – neither in Wuhan.

Her job began in a major temporary hospital, custom-built in just two weeks for the purpose of admitting more than 2,000 seriously ill patients. It opened its doors on February 8.

Before that, the 35-year-old spent almost a week working up the nerve to tell her mother that she was ready for the challenge. But that was just the first test.

"The training sessions led by medical experts made us fearful about working in such an uncertain environment," Chen said. "For family reasons, some gave up the idea of going into the wards."

"But I didn't flinch," she continued.

Feeling tense and being very cautious, it took Chen more than half an hour to put on her protective gear for the first time. The pioneering work – often around the clock – made her exhausted and she worried about becoming infected.

Chen and other medical waste cleaners display their morale outside the medical facility. /CGTN

Chen and other medical waste cleaners display their morale outside the medical facility. /CGTN

Once, her gloves got caught in the lid of a contaminated medical waste container. Though a nurse helped her put on another pair, her anxiety went way up.

"Despite one more layer of protection, I was very scared," Chen said. When getting back to the dormitory, she disinfected herself all over and took a long, hot shower, washing herself again and again.

Without any further symptoms, Chen said she grew assured thanks to medical workers and patients.

"Many patients were like those uncles and aunts that you know, and they actually didn't appear ill," she insisted. "That reduced the fear."

When Chen became more familiar with the work and the situation in the city improved, she applied for a transfer from the general ward to the intensive care unit (ICU).

She believed that this place needed experienced hands the most.

There was three times the workload, the shock of seeing critically ill patients, and even more virulent medical waste such as liquid waste after dialysis, all experienced on a daily basis.

Sometimes, the conversations about death in the ICU were overwhelming and Chen would have to leave for a few minutes to calm herself.

She considered herself a lucky person, often bringing good fortune to those around her.

Two patients at the ICU were discharged just two days after she went there.

"Both were like victorious generals sitting in their wheelchairs, with flowers in their hands," Chen recalled. "They encouraged each other and the rest of the patients. That scene felt so great."

Chen cited people including cooks and other cleaners as great inspiration in the fight against the virus.

"They impressed me a lot," she said. "I learned different mindsets and ways of thinking from them… it was an accomplishment."

The hospital ended its mission on April 15 and on this day she began her 14-day hotel quarantine.

Chen believes people can gain if they face risks and uncertainties head on.

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