HEALTH & SAFETY REPORT
COVID-19: Highly-Contagious Delta Variant Prompts New Urgency
Firefighters and other frontline medical personnel are once again first-in on a new COVID-19 surge, prompted by the virulent Delta variant of the virus. The new strain of the virus — which can be spread much more easily than previous versions — has produced a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases nationwide. Cases are up in California as well, but the state’s per-capita infection rate remains among the lowest in the nation.
Hospitalizations nationwide are also up sharply, both nationally and in California. Nearly all of those who have been hospitalized since the rise of the Delta variant have been among those who have not been vaccinated. Especially troubling to epidemiologists is the explosion in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people under 40. In states with low vaccination rates, nearly all of the COVID-related ICU admissions for people under 40 have been among those who have not been vaccinated.
So-called “breakthrough cases” — infections among those already vaccinated — are also on the rise. These cases, however, have been almost uniformly mild and non-life-threatening. As of this writing, only .004% of the vaccinated population have been hospitalized and only .001% have died.
By contrast, the higher case numbers — especially among unvaccinated — increase the risk of becoming a COVID “long termer”. An increasing number of COVID survivors among firefighters are struggling to return to duty months after being released from the hospital. These issues include possibly permanent respiratory damage, heart problems, and overall weakness. This is on top of dozens of firefighters and EMS workers who have died from COVID since the pandemic began.
For firefighters, the rise of the Delta variant commands renewed vigilance both on the job and off.
As frontline medical workers, firefighters and EMS personnel are far more likely to be exposed to the Delta variant than the population at large. Unlike previous strains, there is growing evidence that even those who have been vaccinated may be able to spread the virus even if they don’t get sick themselves. In other words, you can be carriers as well as potential patients.
This puts an even higher priority on proper use of medical PPE on EMS calls — masks, gowns, frequent washing, sanitization of equipment. As at the outset of the pandemic, it is highly advisable that, when possible, patients also be masked during treatment. Renewed vigilance at the station is also in order — masking, social distancing, etc.
The Delta variant also requires a redoubled focus on protecting access to treatment in the event of contracting COVID on the job. Through its legislative efforts in 2020, CPF won passage of a COVID-19 presumption law, but there’s increasing evidence that employers are playing the same games with this law that they do with other presumptions — delaying and denying claims and forcing employees through hoops to get the benefits they deserve.
Documenting exposures on the job is the best protection in presumption cases, including those involving the COVID presumption. CPF’s Personal Exposure Reporting (peronline.org) provides the most comprehensive and effective way to document your exposures to a variety of agents that pose a health risk, including airborne pathogens such as COVID-19.
Beyond these steps, the overwhelming medical consensus is clear: The most effective protection for firefighters and their families is to get vaccinated.
“COVID-19 is a proven killer,” said CPF President Brian Rice, “and there is mounting evidence that its long-term effects can be extreme and pose a direct threat to your ability to continue as a firefighter, let alone the life and health of you and your family. As someone who has been on the lines and whose job is to keep you safe and healthy, I urge you … please get vaccinated.”