Barbers serve front-line medics

Heroic hairdressers volunteer to shave workers battling novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan

Hairdresser Wu Qiaohui has served front-line epidemic prevention staff, including doctors, nurses and other volunteers, for free in Wuhan, Hubei province, since Feb 10.

Since Wuhan was locked down in late January, all barber shops have suspended services to prevent potential infection.

But at the same time, there are some 35,000 medical staff from across the country working in the city, center of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

There are also a large number of people from other fields, including police officers and community workers, on duty there.

Hair that is too long is not only an inconvenience, it also causes difficulty when wearing and removing protective clothing. With no barber services available, some medical staff have had to trim their hair themselves.

The local government took notice, and called on hair professionals to help. In response, hundreds of barbers recently volunteered their services.

"A man is a coward if he doesn't do anything in the face of battle with the novel coronavirus," said Wu, who has been in the business for 25 years.

Wu's group, which includes 34 others, has provided haircuts to 6,000 medical staff and army officers from more than 10 provinces in the past three weeks.

Wu said they had served homeless and elderly people before, but this is "the first time we have provided volunteer services on such a large scale and for such a long time".

The biggest challenge was to overcome the fear of the virus.

"At first, I wasn't afraid at all. But after putting on protective clothing, glasses and a mask, I was terrified, and my hands trembled as I shaved the first medical worker who was wearing the same gear as me," Wu said.

However, the gratitude from the worker gave him the courage to carry on.

"In the past, haircutting was just business. Customers paid me and I provided a service for them. But now, to serve them for free is a self-esteem boost," Wu said. "It gives me a sense of pride when doctors and soldiers say thanks. They sacrifice their lives for others, so I want to help them."

Liu Hongwu, radiology director of Wuhan Taikang Hospital, said he hadn't had a haircut for almost 40 days until Wu and his team came to help.

"They have very good hearts and craftsmanship," Liu said. "I really appreciate their service during such a dangerous time. The whole hospital thanks them very much."

Whether it would bring dangers to their families is another concern for the hairdressers.

To prevent potential infection, Wu disinfects his clothes before entering home after work and then isolates himself in a room to protect his family members.

Wu is among the large number of volunteers that answered the call from the government to serve the city.

On Feb 23, authorities in Wuhan launched a campaign to recruit more volunteers to ensure efficient delivery of emergency supplies and daily necessities to residents. Some 10,000 people applied for the posts within 10 hours.

Currently, more than 24,000 volunteers out of 70,000 applicants have been recruited to meet the delivery needs of the people in the city.

Wu said that he would not rest after the lockdown of the city because there may be more demands since many people might not have had the chance to cut their hair for a long time.

"I have to work overtime to earn back the lost income," he said.