[Report] "Wearing Full Protective Gear in This Weather"... Medical Staff Pushed to Their Limits at Heatwave-Stricken Clinics

Medical Staff Working in 35-Degree Heatwave
Wearing Vinyl Protective Suits and Face Shields...Double Burden of Heatwave and COVID-19
Concerns Over Physical and Emotional Limits Due to Heavy Workload and Heat-Related Illnesses
Experts Urge "Government and Local Authorities to Implement Measures to Reduce Medical Staff Burden"

On the 16th, a medical staff member at a temporary screening clinic installed in front of Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, is fanning their hands. / Photo by Jin-geun Yoon PD yoon@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] "Wow! It's really hot."

On the morning of the 16th, when the perceived temperature reached 35 degrees Celsius, a long line of citizens waiting for specimen tests formed at the temporary screening clinic set up in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul. The scorching heat of mid-July made even the breeze hot. Citizens continuously fanned themselves or used the blue parasols handed out at the testing site, desperately trying to escape the heat.

However, for the medical staff collecting specimens at the front of the line, even parasols were a luxury. Under the scorching sun that painfully burns the skin, they had to be fully equipped with plastic protective suits and face shields, effectively fighting on two fronts: COVID-19 and the heatwave.

With the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeding 1,000 for over a week, medical staff working at screening clinics are suffering from the double burden of heavy workloads and extreme heat, raising concerns about their health. Experts point out that as the full-scale heatwave hits the testing sites, the burden on medical staff could increase further. They advise that the government and local governments actively support reducing the workload of medical personnel.

On this day, the screening clinic was busy with medical staff in charge of guidance and specimen collection. Wearing blue plastic protective suits, face shields, and gloves, the medical staff moved among citizens holding test forms, guiding them to maintain a 2-meter distance and collecting specimens with medical swabs.

Inspectors lined up at the Seoul Station temporary screening clinic / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

The faces of the medical staff behind the face shields were drenched in sweat. When the number of people waiting decreased and they had some breathing room, the medical staff stood in front of air conditioners to cool down or simply sat down to rest.

The clinic workers work a total of 8 hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Their break time is during the disinfection period from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. During this little over an hour, the medical staff are temporarily freed from their protective suits. However, the time is still far from enough. They have to quickly eat and return to the clinic, where the afternoon shift begins before they know it.

Citizens expressed gratitude and sympathy for the medical staff struggling in the heatwave.

A man in his 20s, office worker A, said, "Even when wearing light clothes, the weather is suffocating, but seeing the medical staff silently working fully dressed in protective suits makes me think they are amazing. I feel sorry because some people ignoring quarantine guidelines cause these people to suffer."

Another office worker in his 30s, B, expressed concern, saying, "Next week, the worst heatwave in history is expected to begin, and I worry about the health of the medical staff."

Screening clinic workers who must work outdoors in protective suits are inevitably vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.

Medical staff recording information of inspectors / Photo by Jin-geun Yoon PD yoon@

Last year, there were cases where medical staff complained of heat-related illnesses or collapsed. On June 9 last year, three nurses working at a temporary screening clinic set up at Nam Incheon Girls' Middle School in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, collapsed and were transported to the hospital. It was reported that these three experienced sudden exhaustion while working in protective suits under heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

As a result, over the past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, the physical and emotional health of medical staff has significantly deteriorated. A survey conducted last year by Professor Yoo Myeong-soon’s team at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health in cooperation with the Gyeonggi-do Public Health Medical Support Group targeted 1,880 medical quarantine response team members. Among respondents, 37.5% said their health worsened while working. This means about 4 out of 10 medical staff suffered health damage while performing quarantine duties.

The deterioration of emotional health was even more serious. 16.3% of respondents reported experiencing "high-level stress requiring immediate help." 73% were classified as a "group requiring re-monitoring." This means about 9 out of 10 are suffering from high levels of stress.

The image shows the disposal of waste after specimen collection is completed / Photo by Jin-geun Yoon PD yoon@

Experts suggested that the government and local governments actively adopt measures to reduce the burden on medical staff.

Lim Chang-mok, an epidemiologist in Gyeongsangnam-do, said, "Medical staff collecting specimens are suffering greatly from extreme work stress and the heatwave. This goes without saying."

He added, "It is necessary for the government and local governments to introduce measures to reduce the workload of medical staff. For example, while experienced medical staff handle specimen collection, other officials can manage social distancing guidance among citizens and various administrative tasks. Concentrating medical staff on tasks only they can perform and assigning other personnel to remaining duties can reduce their workload."

He also emphasized, "Actively installing walk-through testing sites where air conditioning is easier to implement to increase testing speed and improve conditions for medical staff is important."