Coronavirus outbreak: Exhausted medic dies of heart attack after working 10 days straight conducting temperature checks
A medical worker in China has died from cardiac arrest resulting from exhaustion after he reportedly worked 10 days straight in an effort to assist the patients in battling novel coronavirus infections. The pharmacist, Song Yingjie,28, from Hunan, assisted in conducting temperature checks at motorway toll booths to combat the virus.
Yingjie reportedly insisted on working the straight run and was also distributing medical supplies in the region during the virus outbreak, according to the Sun. According to the deputy director of the medical center, Zhou Xiaonian, Yingjie worked from 4 pm to 12 am. However, on February 3, Yingjie insisted on dropping some of his colleagues at their home after finishing his shift. He later went to his dormitory.
The pharmacist's roommates later found his dead body in his room, with local media reporting that it is believed that he died from a cardiac arrest brought on by exhaustion. It is not yet clear how much overtime work he may have done apart from his basic shift pattern at the medical center.
Yingjie's father, Song Guanghui, while talking to reporters said, "I also have a daughter in Wuhan who can't come back. You're asking if I'm worried? I'm very worried." Shortly after the news of his death, social media users labeled the medical worker as a "hero."
Yingjie's uncle also commented on his sudden death. "My nephew was usually very amiable. No matter who he saw, he would always have a smile on his face. He would help his parents with farm work in the fields, plant saplings and do housework. It's not easy to find a young man like him," he said.
The new coronavirus, termed as “2019-nCoV, has claimed at least 560 lives in China alone, with 24,561 confirmed cases in the region. The outbreak, which initially began in Wuhan, has spread to more than 20 countries across the world. There is no cure for the coronavirus at the moment, and antibiotics do not appear to assist in fighting off the infection.