When the pandemic first started, I had worked as the infection control practitioner at the local hospital. I had struggled for years getting the paramedic group to follow additional precautions. They would always ask if a patient required any additional precautions and for what - as part of their intake- but very rarely actually wore anything other than their gloves. Driving home one night from a very long shift early in the pandemic, I had to pull over on the side of the road for an oncoming ambulance with the lights and sirens on. As they passed I noticed the driver and attendant in the front seat were both wearing a mask, face shield and gown. That’s when it hit me. If paramedics, the ones who go head on into everything, if they are wearing what they are supposed to be wearing to protect themselves, then we are in big trouble.
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