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Five Walnut Hill Volunteer Firefighters, Two EMS Medics Quarantined After Contact With Suspected COVID-19 Patient
April 9, 2020
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
Seven Escambia County first responders are quarantined after responding to a medical call in Walnut Hill early Tuesday morning.
All are quarantined due to suspected COVID-19 exposure, according to Laura Coale, Escambia County spokesperson.
Five volunteer members of the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue and two Escambia County EMS crew members are all in self-quarantine at their respectives homes pending COVID-19 test results for the patient.
NorthEscambia.com has learned the patient was pronounced deceased shortly after the original medical call; a cause of death has not been released.
Coale said two EMS employees are also quarantined for non-work related reasons. There have been no positive cases of COVID-19 in any Escambia County EMS or Fire Rescue employee or volunteer, she said.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
6 Responses to “Five Walnut Hill Volunteer Firefighters, Two EMS Medics Quarantined After Contact With Suspected COVID-19 Patient”
@denny, yes, healthcare workers and first responders ARE wearing PPE. The PPE for COVID positive patients is a bit more extensive, so it is saved for those particular types of calls. That is why it is SO important for people to mention to the 911 dispatcher if they are showing ANY symptoms. Healthcare workers and First reponsders are experiencing a shortage of proper PPE for COVID response, so they are trying to make them last as long as possible. At all non-COVID calls standard PPE is used. I can assure you, everyone in healthcare is doing their best to protect themselves and others on EVERY call.
As an ICU nurse, we are still low on masks and other PPE supplies, and I do not believe we will be ahead for a minute. I work in Okaloosa, but I live in Walnut Hill, and I worry for all my fellow healthcare workers. I know they, too, are feeling this. Trying to reuse PPE so u don’t run out is ridiculous. A soldier wouldn’t be sent to battle without a gun. As a charge nurse, it’s very hard for me to send my nurses into a positive room, or suspect room, KNOWING they need more protection. Very very hard thing we all are going through. Just pray for the healthcare workers everywhere. God is our strength.
Praying that y’all don’t get this virus. And praying for the family who lost your loved one. And thank you all for you service.
All of our first responders need personal protection—- masks, gloves, GOWNS before they go into any home. Or on any medical call these days. The gloves I know they have but would the other protection have saved them from quarantine?
Prayers for these first responders and those and for the person who is suspected of having it.
Our first responders aren’t wearing PPE on medical calls?