Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

July 9, 2020

Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Receiving Emergency Medical Services in King County, Washington

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  • Based on a study of patients who required 911 emergency medical services (EMS) care for COVID-19 in King County, Washington (February 1 to March 18)screening based on conventional COVID-19 symptoms or examination findings of febrile respiratory illness may not be sufficiently sensitive to identify patients with COVID-19Of 147 unique 911 encounters29% had no symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Based on EMS examination findings, fever (51%), tachypnea (rapid breathing) (32%), or hypoxia (54%) were only present in a limited portion of cases. Patients received care associated with aerosol-generating procedures in 16% of encounters. As of June 1, mortality among the study cohort was 52% (n=65). 

Yang et al. (July 8, 2020). Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Receiving Emergency Medical Services in King County, Washington. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.14549