Coronavirus medics shave heads to avoid spreading infection

The staff have been praised for their commitment to the job.
The staff have been praised for their commitment to the job. Photo credit: BBC News

Chinese medics are shaving their hair to avoid cross-contamination of patients during the coronavirus outbreak.

Lu Chen, a spokesperson for the Xinjiang medical team, told BBC News getting rid of hair was helpful to prevent cross infection and reduce the risk of the virus in Wuhan hospitals. 

He said "it poses a risk in carrying pathogens when they treat patients in an epidemic area, especially if they are female staff with long hair".

The group's volunteer hairdresser Wen Bin said he was helping both females and males but wanted to make sure the medics were comfortable with shaving their hair as it was a drastic decision.

"Many of the people here told me directly to shave their heads.

"Every time I do it, I double-check they really want to shave it."

He said male and female medical staff were getting the hairstyle as it also made wearing protective gear easier.

Bin said he found the experience very unusual.

"Normally out of a hundred customers, I wouldn't have even one request to shave their head, one at most one I suppose. But in these two days, I've already shaved many heads," he said.

"I think I really admire them. They sacrificed themselves during this epidemic period."

But while Bin's patients volunteered to cut their hair, female staff at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital have allegedly been forced to shave theirs.

Gansu Daily posted a video to their WeChat of female doctors in tears as their heads are shaved by their male colleagues, The Washington Post reported.

The hospital had intended for staff to do it as a symbol of "sacrifice" and the women were supposed to show off their shaved heads in a farewell ceremony as they left for Wuhan.

Social media users have slammed the hospital online for being "insensitive" and called the act "degrading".

But the hospital claims the workers had volunteered to shave their heads.

Coronavirus has currently claimed 1875 lives since its outbreak in December.