The team were called out to a case on Monday evening after the patient reported fever and trouble breathing. She told authorities she had attended a concert in Alsace last week.
Initially the team used protective gear and masks, as required in any dealings with potentially infected patients. They were then informed that the health inspection department had said there was no risk and the woman should be brought to hospital as if it were a normal case.
The voluntary team removed their protective clothing and took the woman to hospital as advised. However, upon arrival, the doctor who booked the woman in immediately considered her to be a risk patient and the team once again contacted the CGDIS for advice. The health inspection department said their advice had not changed, but then, shortly before 4am, they called again to say they now did view the woman as a risk patient. The paramedics were told to self-isolate themselves for 24 hours while testing was carried out.
The ambulance team said they were disappointed that the existing plans for such cases had been derailed by contradictory decisions, which then created difficult situations which should not have been allowed to arise.
If the patient was found to be carrying the coronavirus, the ambulance service would have to retrace all the people with whom the team had come in contact and place them in quarantine, causing potential mayhem. This could have been avoided if the team had been allowed to proceed as they initially planned in cases where they could come into contact with infected patients, rather than following the Sanitary Inspection Unit's contradictory advice to the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps
Around 7pm on Tuesday, however, the test results came back negative and the quarantine was lifted.
The Ministry of Health has not commented on the incident.
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