Corona creeps into everyone's everyday life - especially that of medical staff.
An emergency paramedic from Munich reports how he is fighting the virus.
Corona numbers
determined the year.
In many places, hospitals are reaching their limits.
Also
paramedic
are permanently working to supply corona patients as quickly as possible and to bring to the clinic.
In doing so, they must
not forget
about self-protection
.
An emergency paramedic reports to
Merkur.de
how this Spakat has to be mastered every day.
Munich -
Konrad Franz
knows what damage the
corona
virus can cause.
The
emergency paramedic from
the Aicher Ambulanz Union in Munich had last contact with Covid 19 patients in almost every one of his shifts.
The control center reports an operation, when it says "Corona-positive, first-degree contact person, quarantine or symptoms", this means for Franz and his colleagues:
full protection
.
Even if you have a heart attack or someone is unconscious: First put on your gown, hood, safety glasses, gloves and FFP2 mask before you go inside.
Around 30 to 60 seconds for self-protection.
“It feels like it's relatively long, of course,” says Franz on the phone.
“You often feel stupid because you have to dress completely in front of the apartment or house.
But that doesn't help. "
In an eight-hour shift, Franz drives around five or more
assignments
.
“We definitely have one or two corona positives per shift.
Not even those that you don't know about. ”But not all of them are treated for corona disease - tripping accidents or other diseases still exist.
Patients who call with Corona because of breathing difficulties still exist almost every day, says Franz. For paramedics, this also means a daily
risk of infection
.
Emergency paramedics on duty: Protective clothing and thorough disinfection should protect against infection with corona
“You just trust the
FFP2 masks,
” says Franz quite soberly.
The 29-year-old has been working for eleven years, also on a voluntary basis with the Maltese.
He used to treat patients with highly infectious infections, such as open tuberculosis.
“I never got infected through the masks.”
In his opinion,
safe
protective clothing
is the most important thing in order to be able to do the job well.
"There were times when we didn't have them, when we naturally felt abandoned."
Staff shortages
due to infection are currently not a huge problem.
“Increased work stress, psychological stress, strain, that is of course more than usual, no question about it.
But because the
hygiene measures
in the rescue service are very good and we adhere to them well, the infection rate among us is very, very low. "
He still finds putting on and changing protective gear to be tedious.
Contact areas and surfaces in the car must also be
well disinfected
after each
use
.
With exposure time, it takes a good half an hour.
Corona patients in the ambulance: high risk of infection for paramedics
On the way to the hospital, Franz is usually alone with the patient in the
ambulance
.
In the narrowest space.
If the patient is unable to breathe, Franz puts an
oxygen mask
on him.
“This is a very high
risk of infection
for us
, because six to twelve liters of oxygen come through a mask that the patient wears over his mouth and nose and that has openings on the side so that the aerosols are blown into the room with all the more speed . "As reluctantly as he does that, Franz emphasizes:" If the patient needs oxygen, of course he gets it immediately. "
“Depending on how long you drive, it can be good that you sit in a room with the patient for half an hour to three quarters of an hour.” Because the fewer
hospitals
report free beds, the
longer journeys may be longer
.
"You can't just put Covid-19-positive patients with oxygen masks in normal emergency aid with everyone else," explains Franz.
Special
beds are needed for this
.
So far, however, they have only "very rarely" had to go far from Munich.
Intensive care units reach their limits when beds are occupied.
In the
rescue service
you have to look at the situation a little differently: "We drive one mission, we clean, we are ready for action again and drive the next one," says Franz. "That is still non-stop." Worry that the rescue service is not due to overload come, don't need nobody to have.
Emergency paramedics from Munich: 2020 was “shocking” - young people with difficult courses are remembered
Overall, he describes
2020
as a “shocking” year: “What stays in your head are the
young patients
who have extremely difficult courses.
That makes the danger a bit clearer.
It gives you the feeling that it could affect me too. ”Of course, it is also bad when older people suffer.
"But these young ones, without seeing previous illnesses, have the most severe shortness of breath and courses, that really scares you."
Franz has probably already experienced many dire situations during his time as a paramedic.
But
Corona
show him more.
“It is difficult to describe to others what
scared
people
look like who have not seen it themselves.
When you look at them in the face, the patients are full of fear, panic, desperate, helpless.
The sad thing is that when they are Covid-19-positive, one usually knows or has to fear that this is just the beginning for the patient. "That it will most likely not go uphill at first.
"That affects you."
In such situations, Franz has to be there for the patients.
"We tell the patient that he is now being helped, that he is not alone and that we will take care of him as best we can." That is his job, and the
coronavirus
will also accompany him in 2021.
(cibo)