EMS battling coronavirus suffer from illness, PTSD, hopelessness

<p>Across the nation, medical professionals are working tirelessly on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic to save lives despite the tremendous risk of illness and psychological distress.</p><p>As the world grapples with the coronavirus and measures to contain it, New York has emerged as ground zero in the U.S.</p><p>The state has more than 16,000 deaths from the outbreak, far more the fatalities in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.</p><p>Many in the line of duty are being asked to work long hours and to remain socially distant from their families and loved ones, while reports of dwindling supplies and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) reveal an added danger to an already volatile situation.</p><p>New York's emergency responders say it feels like Sept. 11 every single day.</p><p>Chronically understaffed EMS providers are responding to between 6,000 and 7,000 9-1-1 calls daily, and have been since mid-March. That's up to 75% higher than their normal call volume of around 4,000. Instead of the typical 50 to 70 cardiac arrests they see per day, they're tallying more than 300.</p><p>EMS workers say their mental health is at risk.</p><p>It's the same in other hard-hit states, where some locations have been forced scale back service. Thirteen EMS providers from around the state have died from complications of COVID-19 since March 31, according to the New Jersey EMS Task Force and multiple first-aid squads.</p>