17 Pittsburgh first responders in quarantine or isolation; none have tested positive for covid-19

A total of 17 Pittsburgh first responders — including two medics and 15 firefighters — are staying home in quarantine or isolation after learning they could have been exposed to covid-19, officials said.

None have tested positive for covid-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, or suspected that they had it as of Thursday night, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety and union officials.

At least two out of Pittsburgh’s nearly 100 working medics are in isolation because a patient they transported to a hospital tested positive for covid-19 days later, according to Jeffrey Tremel, president of the Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics Local 1.

Most 911 calls are getting triaged based on possible covid-19 symptoms, with dispatchers flagging incidents where a person that first responders will encounter may pose such a risk, Tremel said.

When responding to high-risk calls known to involve possible covid-19 cases, medics take extra steps to be careful, including more protective gear than usual. They wear fresh sets of surgical gloves, disposable white gowns, masks and in some cases, full-faced respirators.

“Unfortunately, all of the calls don’t get labeled as high or low risk,” Tremel said.

Five Pittsburgh firefighters were placed in a 14-day isolation that began last week — three of whom were deemed possibly at risk of having the virus because they recently traveled to another country, Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri said. One of those firefighters was placed in isolation for having an already compromised immune system.

One firefighter had possible symptoms, Togneri said.

Ten more Pittsburgh firefighters were asked to stay home and quarantine in recent days because they showed various symptoms, including a fever or cough, Togneri said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, they were told not to return to work until they are symptom-free for 72 hours,” Togneri said. “No one in Public Safety has tested positive for covid-19.”

The covid-19 disease also can cause diarrhea, sore throat and aches or chills. None of the medics have reported any such symptoms, Tremel said.

Isolation vs. quarantine

Isolation refers to separating sick people who have a contagious disease or known exposure to it from those who do not, according to guidance by U.S. Health and Human Services. Quarantine refers to separating and restricting the movement of someone possibly exposed to or showing early symptoms of a disease to see if they contract it.

Each public safety employee believed to have been directly exposed to covid-19 is in isolation for at least two weeks from the date of their possible exposure as a precautionary measure, in line with federal and local health guidelines.

All employees staying home because they are sick or under quarantine are on paid leave, Togneri said.