My daughter got up this morning to feed the cat before school started. ( She is homeschooled). A good friend and neighbor of ours (right next door) was having a medical emergency. She said, “Mom what is the fire truck and EMT’s doing next door at Carl’s”. ( made up name).
I looked and the firetruck had left but the EMT’s were still there, I asked her to find my shoes and I got my housecoat. I walked out of our yard and into his. He was on a stretcher and 4 men ( first responders) were at his side. I said, “ What’s going on”. Carl said, “Is that you Amanda and I said yes, are you alright? He said, “I can’t breathe”. His vitals and I have worked as an ekg tech before were visible and they were a little high but nothing that showed a heart attack that was visible.
The first responders had on gloves but no masks. I kept my distance. I looked at how they were responding and they were placing oxygen on him and he was holding his garage opener. He is a retired veteran who stays home...most all of the time...Never goes anywhere. He comes here to play guitar and may go to the store but otherwise he is pretty much an isolator. He has had some people over recently to his house. I stood there and observed how the patient was treated. I was not panicked but concerned that these responders were not wearing masks. Not even the kind that is in a hospital ER room. Nada. I did not ask if he had fever. I was busy watching the monitor. Carl seemed relieved that someone was there who was not medical but a neighbor. He could not catch his breath. One responder said, “He is probably having a COPD episode”. I said, “ You guys should be wearing masks”. Their response, “ Nah”. REALLY !!!!!!! was my thought. In the middle of a pandemic and you aren’t wearing masks.
He handed the first responder over him his garage door opener to give to me and I had on no gloves but took it and placed it out of our living zone and then immediately went inside and scrubbed like a surgeon my hands. I then poured sanitizer on my hands. I was about 10 or 15 maybe 20 feet from him and never saw him sneeze or cough. He really has no one . They took him to the hospital and probably will put him in isolation.
It concerns me greatly that this man over 65 was treated by first responders who wore NO MASKS. They did use a sheet to cover his face after they placed the oxygen on him. Is this how first responders are acting everywhere because if it is...WE ARE ALL AT A MAJOR RISK.
We are not prepared and now I am more than certain that we are in trouble with this virus in the state of Florida. It may be a pre exisiting condition and then again it may be coronovirus. They don’t know and we as a community don’t know because besides not having enough tests, we have the reddest county in Florida acting pretty Trumpish about oh this is not much more than colds. They are not wearing masks.