~ by Trevor Phipps ~ (photos by Tommy Allen)
As a part of the proactive steps Teller County has taken thus far to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, county officials have officially unveiled a new medical device that was 
designed locally. Last week, a press conference was held that explained and introduced the newly invented piece of equipment that is said to prevent first responders from contracting the coronavirus.
The new device consists of a plastic box that is made in Denver out of clear plastic. The box has three holes in it and it is designed to be placed over the head of a coronavirus victim when the patient is transported in an ambulance.
The clear plastic unit sits over the head of the patient and two of the holes are for the first responder to reach into and incubate the patient. The other hole is connected to a hose that runs to the exhaust fan already built into the ambulance.
According to multiple local leaders and UCHealth officials, when implemented the box can prevent viruses from being spread from the victim to the first responder that shows up on the scene. The exhaust fan provides negative air pressure so that when an infected patient coughs during the intubation process, all of the germs put into the air get contained within the box and then pumped outside the ambulance.
More information will be available in the full article that comes out next Tuesday at over 100 local locations in print and on the web at mountainjackpot.com.
