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COVID-19 MEDEVAC Best Practices: The Development of a Standardized Medical Operating Guideline
Nicole Powell-Dunford1, John S Crowley2
1Medical Director, En Route Care Group, US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory.
Aeromedical transport of COVID-19 patients poses high transmission risks due to confined spaces and close proximity. Authorities advise against helicopter evacuation if other options exist to mitigate airborne biological agent spread.
Area of Science:
- Aviation Medicine
- Infectious Disease Transmission
- Aeromedical Evacuation
Background:
- COVID-19 presents significant challenges for aeromedical transportation due to its high infectivity.
- Factors like droplet size, patient proximity, respiratory symptoms, PPE, and airflow turbulence impact biological agent transmission in air transport.
- Rotary-wing MEDEVAC helicopters have confined spaces and limited barriers, increasing transmission risk, especially for prolonged close contact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the risks associated with aeromedical transportation of patients with COVID-19.
- To identify key factors influencing the transmission of infectious biological agents during air medical evacuations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of factors influencing biological agent transmission in air transport.
- Review of recommendations and risks concerning rotary-wing evacuation of COVID-19 patients.
Main Results:
- Close contact beyond 15 minutes in confined rotary-wing aircraft significantly elevates transmission risk.
- High risk of transmission is particularly noted in the close quarters of MEDEVAC helicopters.
Conclusions:
- The confined environment and lack of barriers in rotary-wing MEDEVAC helicopters create a high risk for COVID-19 transmission.
- Strong recommendations exist against using rotary-wing aircraft for COVID-19 patient evacuation when ground or fixed-wing alternatives are available.
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