Over half of ambulance force staff who received coronavirus results test positive for deadly bug
OVER half of staff given coronavirus results in a single ambulance force tested positive, The Sun can reveal.
Nearly 500 West Midlands Ambulance Service staff have been given swabs and, of the 114 confirmed results so far, 58 were positive and 56 negative.
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A source said: “This is a worrying time for frontline crew and these figures add to calls for them to receive proper protection."
"These guys are heroes and need the best kit possible and proper testing across the board as quickly as possible."
“We need our paramedics to beat this and to do that they need to be regularly tested.”
It sparks fears crews could be wiped out as NHS staff must self-isolate for 14 days if they are found to have the bug.
Crews have called on health chiefs to supply more protective gear as they fear for their lives visiting up to ten coronavirus patients a shift with “dismal” gear.
One staff member for North West Ambulance Service told The Sun they have to “beg” to be tested.
West Midlands Ambulance Service Emergency Services Operations Delivery Director, Nathan Hudson, said: “We will not be providing an update as to the numbers of staff we have off or to the number tested as this changes on a daily basis.
“The Trust moved quickly to test staff as soon as facilities became available to do so. We have been utilising a number of labs around the region and undertaking some home testing to get the backlog cleared as quickly as possible. Our staff continue to follow national guidance on self-isolation.
“Testing staff as quickly as possible is a vital part of our response to the coronavirus pandemic. This provides clarity to staff and ensures we can maintain the highest possible staffing levels so that we can continue to help patients and save lives.”
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The West Midlands is the worst-hit area outside of London, with 736 deaths to date, including 306 at University Hospitals, in Birmingham.
They said: “This is what happens when you don’t have proper protective gear."
"The real figure is going to be so much higher, we all need to be tested as soon as possible.”
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