The coronavirus is not the flu. The Director of Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services is hoping you understand that.
O’Donnell said though the symptoms of coronavirus are comparable to the flu, they are still very different beasts.
“COVID has a very ‘distinctive taste.’ You know what it looks like as soon as it walks in the door,” said Dr. Dan O’Donnell on the Dan Dakich Show Monday. “It just takes one case to see the difference. Try seeing someone who is younger than you walking in that door and getting real sick. You’ll see it’s not the flu and it needs to be taken serious.”
Since the pandemic got to Indiana O’Donnell says Indianapolis EMS is getting over 300 calls a day, whether it be for coronavirus or other medical emergencies. As they are doing that, he added that EMS workers are having to put on and take off personal protective equipment (PPE) 20 to 30 times a day.
He’s urging you not to get comfortable as the coronavirus becomes more and more of a norm in today’s society. So far, eight EMS workers in Indianapolis have contracted the coronavirus. O’Donnell said that number would be much higher if they were not staying vigilant.
One way you can help ease the strain of the extra precautions being taken by EMS workers is to go to the hospital yourself if you feel you are sick.
“We’re trying to help offload the EMS agencies,” O’Donnell said. “Some people may not want to come to the hospital if they are scared. Believe me, you should come to the hospital if you are sick.”
Even if you are not sick and you need medical attention O’Donnell stresses that you should still go to the hospital in spite of your fears of catching coronavirus.
As an emergency medical doctor at Eskenazi Hospital, O’Donnell assures you that you have a better chance of surviving any ailment during these times by going to the hospital rather than staying at home out of fear.
