EMS SUITING UP: JUST BEING SAFE
First responders on the front lines
Expect to see far more emergency responders decked out in face shields and white protective gowns — but it doesn’t mean they’re transporting someone with the virus, Boston’s EMS chief says.
“For a little while, this might be the new normal for us,” said EMS Chief Jim Hooley as he stood outside of EMS headquarters in the South End on Thursday.
In light of the possibility of community spread of the virus, the emergency operators are now asking callers if the people who need attention have any kind of respiratory illness.
“Then we tell our personnel to take precautions before we even get to the scene or get to the patient,” Hooley said. “So far there’s been pretty good control here, but prudence dictates forward thinking.”
He had one of his emergency responders model the getup for reporters. He wore a plastic shield in front of his face — and still had a mask underneath over his nose and mouth — plus a disposable white hairnet, smock and booties.
“We will put this on, examine the patient and cocoon the patient in sheets — just wrap them up with a mask on them,” Hooley said of treating anyone they suspect might have the rapidly spreading virus. He said they would then call the hospital and let them know that a patient who needs to be quarantined is coming in.
“You’ll see us putting on more in lots of cases, and it still might just be the flu — it still just might be something else,” Hooley said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean when we walk out with something like this that we’re bringing out somebody who’s a COVID patient.”
He added, “It doesn’t mean there’s hundreds of cases. We’re just telling our people it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Hooley said none of his men or women have had to self-quarantine, and none
have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
“Right now, equipmentwise, we have sufficient stores on hand,” Hooley said. He said they built up supplies following the H1N1 flu scare of a decade ago and the Ebola fears from five years ago.
“We need a healthy workforce — that’s our biggest thing, is to protect them,” Hooley said.
A total of 108 people have tested positive of the virus in the Bay State, an uptick of 13 cases from Wednesday, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Six of the cases have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 102 of the cases are presumptive positive cases.
Out of the total 108 people who have tested positive, 82 are connected to the Biogen conference in downtown Boston from late February. Suffolk County, which includes Boston, saw its total rise from 19 to 22 overnight.
Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced a state of emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak.
More than 1,300 people in the U.S. have been infected. There have been 127,000 confirmed cases around the globe.