DYING FOR OTHERS
Overworked coronavirus medic ‘dies of heart attack after working ten days straight fighting killer bug’
A MEDICAL worker in China has died from cardiac arrest brought on by exhaustion after reportedly working 10 days straight to help fight the coronavirus.
Pharmacist Song Yingjie, 28, was based in Hunan, China and helped conduct temperature checks at motorway toll booths in the battle against the deadly virus.
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The medic, who insisted on working the straight run, was also distributing medical supplies in the area during the outbreak.
He worked gruelling hours, from at least 4pm to 12am according to the deputy director of the medical centre, Zhou Xiaonian, where Song was a pharmacist.
However, after finishing his shift on February 3, Song reportedly dropped some his colleagues at their homes before going home to his dormitory.
His roommates then later found his dead body in his room, with local reports stating he is believed to have died from a cardiac arrest brought on by exhaustion.
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It is unclear how much overtime the committed worker may have done around his basic shift pattern.
His father, Song Guanghui, told reporters: “I also have a daughter in Wuhan who can't come back. You're asking if I'm worried? I'm very worried.”
Meanwhile, the medical worker has been labelled a “hero” by social media users.
The medic’s uncle, who is unnamed, said: “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.”
There have been 24,561 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 560 deaths - the majority of which have occurred in China.
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As of February 5, British health officials have tested for the coronavirus on 468 patients in the UK -but just two tests have come back positive.
In a statement to the public, Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, has said that the NHS is “extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections”.
He stated: “We are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread.
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