WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. – COVID transmission is rare between first responders and people they interact with.
That’s the finding of a new study by UW Medicine.
Researchers looked at over 3700 encounters King County EMS workers had with an infected patient from February to July 2020.
They found that just one provider tested positive for COVID-19 within two weeks of the encounter.
Chief Larry Hoffman of Whatcom County Fire District 7 says that shows the governor’s vaccine mandate isn’t necessary for his department.
“We listened the science, used our PPE and were successful,” says Hoffman.
He tells KING 5 that 25% of his crew is unvaccinated and could soon be unemployed instead of helping people in his district in and around Ferndale.