Novel Coronavirus - "COVID-19"

As at 11 MAR 2020 the COVID-19 virus outbreak has caused widespread and unprecedented stress on the global healthcare system, testing resources and causing panic worldwide. More and more patients are finding themselves infected abroad, the team at Medevac Me! are positioned to safely and effectively return patients back to Australia for the medical care they need. Unfortunately this health pandemic is only going to get worse and affect more and more of the worlds population. The below details are an extract from the CDC

Source and Spread of the Virus

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus (named SARS-CoV-2).

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV.  All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.

Early on, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Some international destinations now have apparent community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as do some parts of the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed. Learn what is known about the spread of this newly emerged coronaviruses.

Illness Severity

The complete clinical picture with regard to COVID-19 is not fully known. Reported illnesses have ranged from very mild (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death. While information so far suggests that most COVID-19 illness is mild, a reportexternal icon out of China suggests serious illness occurs in 16% of cases. Older people and people of all ages with severe underlying health conditions — like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, for example — seem to be at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness.

Learn more about the symptoms associated with COVID-19.

There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

What May Happen

More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the United States in the coming days, including more instances of community spread. It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur. Widespread transmission of COVID-19 would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, and workplaces, may experience more absenteeism. Mass gatherings may be sparsely attended or postponed. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and sectors of the transportation industry may also be affected. Healthcare providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it. Nonpharmaceutical interventions would be the most important response strategy.

For more informationn urgent medical evacutations, contact the team at www.medevac.me

Expectations in Developing Nations

Planning for any operation whether short or long term in developing countries is challenging to say the least. 

Generally speaking, information available by traditional open source intelligence is broad and general, often information is outdated and poorly monitored. From emergency decompression facilities, blood products or even pharmaceutical resupply, every possible need must be considered and properly researched.

Without proper intelligence gathering, inevitably any plan you set in place will fail. In 2017, our staff spent over 8 months working in environments including Thailand, Fiji, USA, UK, Spain, France, Italy, India, China and Indonesia. All of these countries face their own unique challenges.

From remote Islands and shipping channels in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, to downtown Manhatten, New York. Our staff were faced with logistical and evacuation challenges every step of the way. Years of experience have meant we achieve constant mission success no matter the task.

Whilst serving in the military, I deployed overseas to an Asian nation, one of the first activities I would undertake upon arrival to a new area is conduct a reconnaissance of the local health infrastructure and evacuation route. The vetted health facilities I was given were often varied in capacity. However one recce was more memorable than the rest. It was the only facility within 150km with an immediate surgical capacity that met the requirements for supporting our operations should something go wrong.

As my driver turned in the “ambulance” bays of the hospital, we were met by 4 armed and angry “guards” and several other military aged males with an obvious and immediate language barrier. I called my local medical liaison who assisted in translation. 

A long and lengthy conversation ensued, all the while showing signs of aggression and hostility towards us, Our Liason very abruptly but calmly told us in English that this facility was “closed” and that we should leave the area immediately.

Fortunately, we took strict adherence to our tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP’s) and a second vehicle shadowed our movement for security. This vehicle contained numerous personel that were also using the opportunity to the resupply on necessities. 

This “hospital” was no longer operational and now served as a makeshift command, HQ and accomodation for local anti-government movements.

Something, we had inadvertently stumbled upon and something that had the very great potential to cause an international incident. 

As my driver slowly backed out of the driveway, our escort closely followed procedure and we made our way along our pre planned route at speed to the safety of our compound. From the moment we made the decision to self extract from that situation, our procedures were immediately and strictly followed. This precise planning may have ultimately been the difference in the outcome of survival.

Lessons learnt on that day will never be forgotten, some of these are: 

• Don’t trust local health intelligence until you confirm it yourself.
• If you don’t speak the local language, always have an interpreter available 24/7
• Simple planning such as route selection, alternatives and pre notifying of movements is essential to a large operation running effectively. 
• Always conduct secondary  reconnaissance once on the ground
• Never take a stethoscope to a gun fight, you feel grossly inadequate 100% of the time.
• Make a Plan A, B, C, D and never forget your escape plan.

A. 

Good Medicine in bad places

Remote medical support for an upcoming feature film off the coast of Fiji. 

VIP Medical Support

Celebrity & VIP Medical Support

On-Set Medical has an international reputation of providing celebrity and high net worth clients with valued, high quality medical support in various applications from standby support on Super Yachts to high threat environments in the middle east.

In the past 5 years On-Set Medical has been the chosen provider for A-list individuals, musicians,  film productions and Fortune 500 Companies.

We provide integral support not limited only to medical standby services. Our staff have diverse backgrounds from the military and civilian sectors. This enables us to provide a diverse range of services to clients from Driving, PA Roles, Logistic Coordination, Project Management and Disaster / Evacuation planning to name a few.

We are fortunate enough to partner with organisations that enable us to maintain a global logistic supply chain and the ability to rapidly deploy to any corner of the world.

On-Set Medical does not see itself as the leader in this sphere, instead as an innovator to the ever changing global environment. No longer can organisations provide a one-size fits all off the shelf approach to this bespoke sector.

Film Crew Medical support in the Asia-Pacific

Recently On-Set Medical were tasked to provide medical support to a major motion picture being produced in the pacific islands. This was no easy task as the country had limited information about existing health infrastructure and general health intelligence.

The production took over 200 western crew and employed over 100 local crew members for a period of 3 months, the task was to provide emergency and primary health care capabilities in remote pockets of an island nation as well as at sea.

On-Set Medical has a history of providing this high level of support to operate almost independently from local infrastructure. We deployed with a three week sustainment of supplies to ensure ample time to establish resupply chains whilst minimising logistical/security requirements.

Environmental preventative medicine was also tasked to us with the establishment of vector control processes to minimise the potential for vector bourn diseases such as dengue which was endemic in the region.

The harshness of the climate and the remote environment provided many challenges to us during the production. We encountered a diverse range of clinical presentations raging from marine envenomation's to multi system traumas and cardiac episodes. This meant out unit nurse/paramedic was extremely busy. Our Tele-medicine consultation system allowed for clinical consultations with practitioners back in Australia to ensure optimal treatment and all avenues were explored before exploring the need for evacuation out of country.

The challenges that were experienced allowed us to greater increase our capacity to deploy with a highly mobile and diversely capable set of skills and equipment. We have the capacity to make an improvised intensive care ambulance and transfer that capability aboard a RHIB within minutes and operational within an hour.

Our vast experience within the military and in austere environments prepared the clinician for the task at hand, often long hours and a 24/7 on call service was utilised ensuring that zero interruption to the shooting schedule was achieved at the completion of the contract.

On-Set Medicals unique approach to the typical "unit nurse" crew member proved to be invaluable to the production.