ON THE BRINK
Coronavirus – Doctors on front line of outbreak break down screaming and crying after days without sleep
DISTRESSING videos have emerged showing medical staff breaking down screaming and crying after trying to battle the killer coronavirus without sleep.
The footage was reportedly filmed inside a hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus that been under quarantine since last Thursday.
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In one video a woman in a white medical coat is seen clutching her chest as she screams "I can't stand this anymore".
Colleagues try to console the distressed woman while wearing medical masks.
In another video, a doctor is seen having an emotional breakdown over the lack of resources in the hospital.
He can be seen in a full-body hazmat suit, face mask and goggles becoming upset over the lack of beds for the patients on the floor.
The doctor is heard saying: "No I don't need more doctors, I already have doctors, the problem is there's no more beds available!"
His colleagues try to comfort him but he grows increasingly stressed.
The coronavirus has killed 81 people and infected more than 2,800 globally.
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Wuhan is under quarantine with air and rail departures suspended and roads closed.
Chinese soldiers wearing medical masks were deployed yesterday to the epicentre of the outbreak.
Footage showed troops unloading supplies from the back of a jet in Wuhan.
It is understood that the city was receiving a massive delivery of 14,000 hazmat suit, 110,000 pairs of gloves as well as masks and goggles.
Ma Xiaowei, China's health minister, yesterday said China was entering a "crucial stage" as "it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger".
Authorities in Wuhan are now racing to build two separate hospitals - one with 1,000 beds and another with 1,300 - to help cope with the outbreak.
Other videos reportedly filmed by medical staff in Wuhan have circulated online showing the dire conditions inside the "ground zero" hospitals.
Overworked staff at Wuhan hospitals have made desperate pleas online for more medical supplies and claimed tens of thousands are infected.
One nurse said: "At this moment, Hubei province, including Wuhan area, even China, 90,000 people have been infected by coronavirus."
ON LOCKDOWN
Distressing video and photos reportedly from Wuhan show the difficult conditions staff are working in.
One disturbing video is said to show the shocking moment a coronavirus victim is seen "fitting" uncontrollably on a hospital trolley.
On the 15-second footage, being circulated on Twitter, a woman can be seen holding the head of a patient who is hidden under a blanket.
Others wearing protective masks can be seen looking on in horror as the unseen person shakes and writhes violently from head-to-toe.
Coronavirus can cause seizures and convulsions among some feverish sufferers.
One unverified video reportedly filmed by a nurse in a Wuhan hospital appears to show overcrowded hallways and staff in fully-protective body suits allegedly stepping over three dead bodies.
Overworked medical staff are also wearing diapers because they don't have time to use the toilet and others do so because they fear ripping off their hazmat suits when supplies are already so low,
People in Wuhan have been banned from travelling as hundreds of Brits remain stranded in the Chinese city.
Officials have told all countries its lockdown will not be lifted for repatriation flights, a Foreign Office source revealed.
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Dr Yvonne Griffiths, 71, a lecturer visiting China on behalf of Birmingham University, said: “Wuhan has changed completely in the last few days.
“Roads are deserted. In the supermarket everybody is wearing a mask. In the hotel, where we are, everyone is wearing a mask.
“We have no news when the airport will re- open. There’s no information coming from any source — so that's a concern.”
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Wuhan Nurse says 90,000 people already infected by coronavirus
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What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an airborne virus, spread in a similar way to colds and the flu.
The virus attacks the respiratory system, causing lung lesions.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.
It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.
In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.
But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract (your windpipe and your lungs), it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.
There is no vaccine for coronavirus.
In 2003 an outbreak of a similar virus, SARS, infected more than 8,000 people in 37 countries before it was brought under control, killing 800 of those worldwide.
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