As the United States begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, ample praise has been focused upon the nation’s emergency first responders – and rightfully so. Millions of nurses, doctors, firefighters and police have set their personal interests aside, routinely placing themselves and potentially their families at risk so that critical frontline medical services remain operational at a time when tens of thousands of Americans have been sickened and died from a disease with no known cure.
However, the same cannot always be said of the dedication and sacrifice displayed by emergency medical service personnel. Paramedics and EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians); the health professionals who arrive in the ambulance, are nearly always the first to closely interact with patients, including those infected with COVID-19.