Covid-19 panic? Not here. But the questions callers are asked by 911 have now changed.
Just 30-45 seconds after a 911 call comes in to dispatch, an ambulance is on the way.
Callers are asked questions by dispatch in order to gain valuable information that is immediately passed on to the EMTs and paramedics by computer. By the time the ambulance arrives to help the victim, the crew already knows quite a lot about the situation.
But now, the questions have been expanded.
“We need citizens to understand that prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, dispatch asked if the victim had been out of the country lately. Now dispatch asks if the victim has been outside of South Carolina,” said Dr. David Greene, deputy chief of Colleton Fire-Rescue. “We need callers to be patient and answer as many questions as they can.”
In order to protect emergency health care workers, information must be shared with dispatch so they can alert ambulance drivers. If Covid-19 is suspected based on symptoms, EMTs must prepare by wearing protective gear or hazmat suits. The victim or caller will also be given special masks (not all masks work to protect against the virus) to wear as a protective measure.
The number of paramedics and EMTs is seriously down throughout the United States, Colleton included, so emergency care givers must be extremely cautious in rushing to the aid of people who may have the virus.
Fire-Rescue is working strategically with other county officials and Colleton Medical Center to prepare in case the pandemic should come to this area.
“We are prepared,” said Dr. Greene. “We need everyone to take simple precautions regarding regular hand washing, just as if this were the flu.”
Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy agreed. “We are daily briefed on what is happening and what to do. We are in contact with schools, DHEC, Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the hospital here and have taken measures to prepare for this. If you or your child have a fever, do not go out in public. Stay home. Isolate yourself and call a physician.”
Colleton County health care professionals will not be able to confirm Covid-19 because blood samples need to be taken and sent to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for confirmation. So, it is important that if a person has a fever and coughing, first call a doctor and be prepared for questions regarding travel or the people they have been around who have traveled out of state.
Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers a test to see if a person has coronavirus. Patients usually pay nothing for Medicare-covered clinical diagnostic laboratory tests. Providers will need to wait until after April 1 to be able to submit a claim to Medicare for this test.
Colleton currently has no one with Covid-19. If additional precautions become necessary, people will be notified immediately.
