코로나 19를 최전방에서 맞서 싸우는 올해의 영웅... 의료진 이야기

Healthcare workers have been the heroes of 2020, suffering hardships to help others survive the pandemic.
Our reporter Kim Yeon-seung went to find out what the past year has been like for healthcare workers on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19.
In this battle with COVID-19, healthcare workers face infected patients every day, sacrificing their own safety and comfort.
To get a glimpse of what they go through, I spent some time alongside a worker at a COVID-19 testing center.
"Should I go in here?"
"Yes, that's where your feet go. Don't fall over"
"Do you change several times a day?"
"We try not to use the bathroom once we put the suit on."
Even putting on the protective gear was a hassle.
For the past year, healthcare workers have started all their shifts this way.
Once they put the suit on, they wear it for two to four hours.
"It hasn't even been 20 minutes since I put on this protective gear, but it's already getting really stuffy behind this mask. The mask is digging into my skin and these gloves, they aren’t thick enough to keep my fingers from going numb in the cold.
"It was the toughest during the summer. The suit gets really hot during the summer, and it's not warm enough for the winter... In this, it's difficult to go to the bathroom or even have a drink now and then."
During the peak of the pandemic, doctors and nurses didn't go home in fear of spreading the virus to their loved ones.
"We went through a really tough time when all medical staff couldn't go home and had to stay at a nearby hotel. During that time, my daughter sent this letter to me, telling me to cheer up. This is what has kept me going."
But their work is also emotionally draining.
"We still don't know when this pandemic is going to end. And that wait can be really scary. We have to keep walking down a road that won't end and keep going through a tunnel where we can't see ahead."
During the Daegu outbreak, Yeungnam University Medical Center took in more than 100 COVID-19 patients at once.
Some patients even got violent or used abusive language to the nurses when they weren't allowed to meet people or touch things.
But the head nurse still puts others ahead of herself.
"I really hope that no one loses hope even during this difficult and daunting time. If we lose hope, then we have lost everything. I wish everyone could endure this a little longer. "
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News, Daegu