Medical teachers, students deploy humor, positivity in Covid-19 hotspot

On the morning of May 27, 36 lecturers and students of the Hanoi-based Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine set out to help the northern province of Bac Giang Province fight the Covid-19. They were responding to a call by Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long for volunteers to help out at pandemic hotspots Bac Giang and Bac Ninh.
Thousands of volunteers from the military medical forces, medical students from northern Hai Duong Province, as well as doctors and nurses from other localities have headed to Bac Giang.

Volunteers were assigned to take samples for Covid-19 testing for people in the province's Van Trung Industrial Park and other areas with high risk of infections like Viet Yen District, where there is a dense population are factory workers. On average, the team collects more than 2,000 samples per day.

Under the scorching 40 degrees Celsius weather, a group of fourth-year student volunteers have used markers to identify themselves as "Covid Hunters."
To quickly detect infected people in the community, healthcare workers have been conducting mass Covid-19 testing in residential areas around the province's industrial zones, using both rapid antigen tests and real-time polymerase chain reaction tests. Thanks to thousands of volunteers, the province had collected more than 808,000 samples by June 1.

Mai Phuong, a female volunteer, drew cartoon characters and wrote her name on the back of her protective suits so other members and easily identify her.
Huynh Thi Hong Nhung, a teacher, shared that volunteers came up with the idea in hope that it will cheer up everyone spirits under the humid weather.

Nguyen Hue, a final year student, wears a protective suit with her Facebook account's handle and a sardonic, hopeful note: "Still single." The women, some of them puny at less than 40 kg, have taken on heavy, labor intensive tasks without complaint.

Collecting samples takes place in early morning and late evening to evade the scorching sun and ensure the health of medical volunteers.
On June 1, the team received the target of taking more than 3,000 test samples in residential areas. The group started out their days at 4.30 a.m. and wrapped up at 10 a.m. After taking a small break, they resumed work at 5 p.m. when the weather was cooler and finished at 8 p.m. A total of more than 26,200 test samples were collected in the entire province that same day.

Volunteers take advantage of a break to place ice packs to their limbs and head for some relief from the heat and fatigue.

Nhung wears a protective suit with the slogan, "Fatigue is a state of mind."
Since it is their first time volunteering at an epicenter, it took the teachers and students the first 1-2 days to get familar with and used to the workload. So far, everything has gone well. No one has fainted of exhaustion or been burnt out otherwise. During break time, Nhung regularly posts images of teachers and students online to update the school, parents and colleagues about their well-being.
"We're fine here, we don't lack food and we don't lack spirit. So everyone at home, please rest assured," she says.

The two female student volunteers, Nguyen Viet Ha (L) and Pham Thu Phuong, bear scars that masks have left on their faces. Wearing protective suits all day also creates some problems like rashes.

Volunteers show off their wrinkled hands after hours of being drenching in sweat and repeated use of alcohol based sanitizers. Their hands smell like rubber, the volunteers say on social media.

Volunteer teachers say they constantly receive messages from second-year and third-year students asking when the school will recruit more volunteers so they can sign up.
After Ministry of Health's announcement calling for volunteers, in addition to 1,400 medical workers, 28,000 other people have also registered their willingness to work in Bac Giang.