VIRUS

Paramedics to administer COVID-19 swab tests

SASKATOON A small number of Saskatchewan paramedics could be pulled from regular duties to assist with COVID -19 testing.

Trained paramedics have received special permission to administer the swab tests needed to test someone for COVID-19, which regulators see as a chance for paramedics to take a more flexible role in fighting the pandemic.

However, there’s a catch: paramedics on those “specimen collection teams” won’t ride in ambulances or respond to normal calls, to prevent them from inadvertently spreading the virus, leaving some operators concerned that crews could be left short-staffed if too many paramedics are diverted to sample collection.

Paramedic Services Chiefs of Saskatchewan President Kelly Prime, who leads multiple ambulance services, said the dayto-day work of emergency responders won’t stop just because of the pandemic.

“We still have our core functions that we need to do,” Prime said.

Paramedics normally can’t administer the nasal and throat swabs needed to identify COVID-19. College of Paramedics executive director and registrar Jackie Messer-lepage said her organization was approached by the Saskatchewan Health Authority for support this month.

They agreed to forward the request to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which agreed to let paramedics do the test — but only for the purposes of the pandemic.

Messer-lepage said paramedics would only swab patients under “very limited circumstances” to prevent accidental infection.

“We want to ensure there’s no potential for cross-contamination,” she said. “And we also want to make sure it doesn’t pull away from the 911 system.”

At this point, it’s undecided how many paramedics in different jurisdictions could be moved onto specimen collection teams.

Prime said the teams could be very effective, especially in parts of the north or in remote communities that lack COVID -19 assessment centres.

He cautioned that the rapid pace of the pandemic makes the decision on whether to reassign staff difficult.

“What we think is a good idea 20 minutes ago might not be a good idea 20 minutes later,” Prime said.

Medavie Health Services-west deputy chief of operations Andrew Williamson said any implementation in Saskatoon will be done in cooperation with the SHA and that it’s simply too soon to know how many staff could be asked to help collect samples.

Prime said an ideal solution will need to balance the safety of patients with flexibility for ambulance providers.

He said anything is possible — and nothing is off the table.

“We may have to modify our responses in very different ways that we never thought of.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority didn’t respond to requests for comment by press time.