As in the first wave, the caregivers go through working days, with sometimes physically demanding actions.

They sometimes have to return intubated patients, requiring the assistance of 5 to 6 people.

In Nancy, the CHU provides caregivers with exoskeletons to relieve them.

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The intensive care units are subject to a sustained pace of work with the resumption of the coronavirus epidemic.

In addition to the accumulated fatigue and stress, caregivers have to practice more and more spinal movements to facilitate the ventilation of patients in intensive care.

This operation, which involves turning the patient intubated, can mobilize up to six caregivers and requires additional physical effort.

To relieve them, the Nancy University Hospital offers them an exoskeleton supposed to reduce the strain on the muscles.

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Like a climbing harness

The exoskeleton itself looks like a climbing harness and is donned in the same way.

Wearing just below the caregiver's overcoat, it prevents it from tipping forward when moving the patient.

Usually, maneuvering and adopting a static position puts a lot of strain on the lower back.

"We discovered that this particularly helped doctors placed at the level of the patient's head," explains robotics researcher at Inria Serena Ivaldi.

"He is in a position where he has to stay several minutes with his hands guarding his head and where he holds the tube to avoid extubation. After 4 minutes, there is a great strain on the back."

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Thanks to this exoskeleton, the physical effort of the caregiver is reduced by 15 to 20%.

While the Covid resuscitation services are filling up everywhere, several hospitals in France have come into contact with researchers in Lorraine.