Calling 911 for a medical emergency? Coronavirus means you will get more questions
For the first time, Florida is activating rules for enhanced screening of medical-related 911 calls, to determine if paramedics and other emergency first responders could be walking into situation with a potential case of the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19.
Procedures are also being put in place statewide for how first responders will protect themselves in those situations. Also possible in the near future are new rules that would be used to determine whether a patient with suspected COVID-19 will be transported to a hospital or left at home in isolation.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the interim guidance for 911 Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAP, recommending enhanced screening of all 911 callers.
Following that guidance, the State Bureau of EMS under the Florida Department of Health has provided additional guidance for 911 dispatchers. They also provided guidance for situations when a COVID-19 patient is not to be transported by paramedics and general protocols for all first responders dealing with a potential COVID-19 case.
“We have not done this here before,” Manatee County Director of Public Safety Jacob Saur said of the enhanced call screenings.
A first for Florida 911 dispatchers
Although never used before in Florida, the protocols are not new. Officials considered using them during the Ebola outbreak that began in 2014.
In Manatee County, public safety officials met with officials from fire departments Thursday afternoon to determine exactly how to implement the new protocols.
The new changes will only affect medical-related 911 calls, not fire or law enforcement-related calls. Any calls meeting the criteria will be designated a “med-alert,” according to Saur. That will automatically trigger law enforcement and fire to cancel any response.
“We are trying to limit exposure,” Saur said.
Paramedics in Manatee County will be geared up with glasses, N-95 masks and gowns. A full hood and tie-back suit is also an option, especially for any paramedic with a beard.
Beginning late Thursday, 911 callers will be asked if they have a fever greater than 100.4 degrees and symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as coughing or difficulty breathing.
If the answer is yes, callers will then be asked if in the 14 days prior to the onset of their symptoms they have traveled to any country with confirmed community transmission of COVID-19, which are China, Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan. The caller will also be asked if in the 14 days before their symptoms began, they were in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, is being monitored or is under investigation.
A yes to either question will then prompt all first responders who are on their way to the scene of the potential exposure to COVID-19 to be alerted so they can take precautions against exposure.
New rules for paramedics
Under the new recommended protocols, paramedics will all have to be in their personal protective equipment, which can include masks, a respirator, eye protections, gloves and a gown or other protective outer garment, before they arrive at a scene with a potential case of COVID-19. Initially, it’s recommended that only one paramedic assess the situation while standing more than six feet away from that patient.
An assessment will include determining if a patient has a fever greater than 100.4 degrees, respiratory virus symptoms such as a cough, nasal or chest congestion, sore throat and body aches, and if they are 50 years or older. If so, then a patient’s vitals will be taken before moving forward to determine if they should be taken to a hospital or left at home.
If a patient doesn’t have every one of the initial criteria, paramedics will proceed with their standards assessment protocols.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
