Mecklenburg ambulance worker tests positive for COVID-19, MEDIC confirms
A Mecklenburg EMS agency employee has tested positive for COVID-19, Medic deputy director Jeff Keith confirmed in a statement Wednesday.
The ambulance worker had not transported a patient who has tested positive for COVID-19, and is now in home isolation, Keith said.
Medic has tested six employees with symptoms for COVID-19, Medic confirmed after a WSOC report. Only the one employee has tested positive.
“Though this was a seemingly inevitable situation with what frontline emergency medical professionals are facing during this global pandemic, we would like to take this opportunity to emphasize how grateful we and the community are for our employees who put themselves at risk every day,” Keith said in a statement.
The employee did not work while experiencing symptoms, Medic spokeswoman Grace Nelson said in a statement, adding: “Everyone is monitored before they enter the building.”
The ambulance worker last worked March 26 and reported symptoms on Sunday. The person was tested Monday and received the positive test result Monday.
Medic has been taking extra precautions when treating potential COVID-19 patients. Medic dispatchers have been instructed to ask 911 callers whether they or the person who needs medical help has a fever over 100.4 degrees, has respiratory distress or has traveled or interacted with someone who has traveled recently, according to Medic’s guidelines.
If deemed necessary, first responders will wear full protective equipment when responding to patients.
The news came as Mecklenburg County reported its second coronavirus death Wednesday night. The county didn’t immediately release details about the person.
Mecklenburg’s first death was reported on March 29. Then, county health Director Gibbie Harris said a 60-year-old who had underlying health issues had died from COVID-19.
The county reported 465 cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, up 47 cases from Tuesday.
There have been 12 other deaths in North Carolina, according to state and county officials. Nearly half of the patients hospitalized with COVID-19 cases are in the Charlotte area, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 5:55 PM.
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