COVID-19 Support

Support during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the coronavirus. It spreads primarily through droplets and many people infected with COVID-19 experience respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop severe illness.

The outbreak was first identified in December 2019 and was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11^th March 2020.

Many of our member organisations work at the forefront of the pandemic, providing care and support.

Air ambulance

Johanniter Germany’s air ambulance

When transporting infectious patients that require intensive care, three things are essential: the shortest possible transport times, well-trained staff in compliance with infection control and continuing the intensive care without interruption. For the ‘Luftrettung’ (air ambulance) of Johanniter Germany, these are requirements that are placed on most of their transports. Johanniter Luftrettung specialised in this at an early stage and was the first to use the infection transport system IsoArk in 2013 on rescue and intensive care helicopters. Johanniter Luftrettung has a total of three IsoArk systems and can equip their helicopters with the system on special request by a health authority.

“With our two intensive care helicopters we have flown about 25 patients who are in need of intensive care and who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 or were suspected of having corona at the time of the transport,”
explained doctor and medical director of Johanniter Luftrettung, Mumi Taleb in March.

Johanniter Nederland’s call service

Many older people suffer from loneliness which increased through the pandemic and the respective safety measures.
Johanniter Nederland invited its volunteers to join the call service, to stay in touch with one or more of the older people who would attend their organised holiday trips and gatherings under normal circumstances. The volunteers already have a relationship with these people and make regular phone calls for attention, listening and small talk. The office of Johanniter Nederland also takes requests for other needs such as grocery shopping. Our Dutch member is in contact with many volunteers that are usually active in institutions and cannot practice their profession anymore and tried to link a request with a volunteer living nearby this guest.
To join the service, volunteers simply need to make a phone call to our Dutch member’s office and let them know about their contact-wishes. Johanniter Nederland then provides them with the phone number of the guests agreed upon.
Appointments with guests are then made to manage expectations; like how many times a volunteer will call per week and when they initiate these calls. A regular pleasant chat can work miracles.

More information on the service (in Dutch) here.

St John Ambulance Guernsey’s Caring Caller Service

During self-isolation and social distancing, a friendly voice to talk to helps everyone who is feeling lonely. Having someone to talk to can really make the difference. Also, St John Ambulance Guernsey is running a Caring Caller service for the islanders.

Johanniter Germany’s listening line

Johanniter Germany offers a listening line to show people they are not alone. In this challenging time, anyone can call Johanniter Germany from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The personnel on the phone listen and help with questions and topics that concern the callers. The service is anonymous, free of charge and without any time pressure for anyone who wants to have a conversation, exchange ideas or talk about everyday life.

Information in different languages

General basic information on coronavirus in different languages

As part of their activities in the field of refugee aid and integration, Johanniter Germany provided general, basic information on the subject of coronavirus in various languages. These serve as a supplement to the official information materials of the Federal Center for Health Education, among others. The information sheets have been translated in cooperation with the Hanover Ethno-Medical Center and will be updated if necessary. Find the information in 12 languages (Arabic, Dari, English, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Kurdish, Russian, Spanish, Tigrinya and Turkish) here.

Kit for makeshift masks

Johanniter Germany’s Kit for makeshift protective masks

In collaboration with a fabric store in Berlin, Johanniter Germany tackled the ever-increasing need for protective equipment with creative solutions. They offer free starter kits for makeshift protective masks to all hobbyists, craftsmen, and sewers. The kit comes with stamped return envelopes so they can be sent back to Johanniter Germany for distribution.

More than 4,000 people have registered in the first weeks of the offer for these Kits which include material for several masks.

Medical competence team

Johanniter Germany’s medical competence team

Coronavirus-competence-team

The German Johanniter hospitals formed a central coronavirus-competence-team to coordinate and control the work in their facilities.

“Telephone conferences are held regularly with representatives from all Johanniter clinics. Strategic purchasing is also involved here to ensure supply chains for protective and hygienic materials. Pandemic stocks are formed.” explained Dr med Thomas Krössin, managing director for Johanniter hospitals in March.

Spatial concepts for scenarios of breakdowns are defined to protect the hospitals and the Intensive Care Units and Intermediate Care. Patients suspected of being infected with COVID-19 are separated from all other patients right from the start.

More information on the measures (in German) here.

Online nursing course for relatives

Johanniter Germany’s online nursing course for relatives of risk-groups

It has been recommended that basic care for people of high-risk-groups should be provided by relatives, if possible. For this reason, Johanniter Germany offers a nursing coach with valuable practical tips and support for relatives. People who take care of someone, take a lot of responsibility and the Johanniter nursing coach is ideal support. There are free online nursing courses ranging from the basics of nursing at home to strategies for coping with and relieving the burden of everyday care.

Additional beds in homeless shelters

Johanniter Austria’s homeless shelters

On 28^th October, Johanniter has reopened their homeless shelter in Vienna with an increased number of beds. Many people without accommodation belong to the COVID-19 risk group and suffer significantly during the pandemic crisis. As homeless people are more often in poor health, and without a place of retreat, they cannot adequately protect themselves from the virus. A total of 470 beds are available in the houses in two locations in Vienna.

Special equipment of S.O.G.IT Settimo Torinese

S.O.G.IT run a targeted campaign in Settimo Torinese for fundraising to purchase essential medical equipment to face high infection risks. By using word of mouth, they reached those who knew the reality of the emergency service and could purchase a bio-containment stretcher with the help of several local and international companies. The new bio-containment stretcher is now operational on an advanced rescue ambulance from S.O.G.IT. It is particularly valuable for the efficient medical transport of patients and for the protection of operating personnel.

Postcard campaign of Johanniter Nederland

Nursing homes in the Netherlands have to deal with residents and clients who cannot be in direct contact with their relatives and loved ones. Also, the Johanniter volunteers cannot offer a helping hand and a listening ear in the same way as usual.

To make a difference, Johanniter Nederland has set up a postcard campaign for nursing homes and other healthcare institutions where Johanniter volunteers are active. An advertising agency designed eight different unbranded postcards free of charge. The postcards were printed and offered to healthcare institutions.

The idea was that the volunteers send these cards with a sweet personal message to the residents or clients. After all, they know the people who now have to live in isolation. A postcard can then mean a lot.

The call to participate in the postcard campaign has been met in large numbers. All 4,500 postcards have been distributed to various Johanniter volunteer groups. They were then sent to older isolated people and volunteers who cannot do their work.

St John Ambulance prepares for COVID-19 vaccination programme

St John Ambulance is supporting the National Health Service and has now been tasked in getting their volunteers ready to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine. The role of our English member includes working with other voluntary organisations to source vaccinators within the revised Human Medicines Regulations set out by the Government, along with patient advocates and first aiders at vaccination sites. Read more

St John Rescue Corps Malta

The volunteers of St John Malta are putting themselves at the disposal of the national authorities to help deal with the spread of COVID-19. St John began mobilising its volunteers since the first case on the islands. In addition to preparing for different eventualities, the volunteers underwent specific preparatory training in decontamination procedures held by the Civil Protection Department.

St John Malta works closely with the national authorities and provide resources and capabilities. Preparations included the acquisition and preparation of specific personal protective equipment. They prepared to operate fire stations to supplement the Civil Protection Department, assist with decontamination processes, transportation and logistics services and provide assistance to the vulnerable and older people. By collaborating with other charities, they ensured that food supplies reached families in need. Read more here.

Care centre for suspected cases of COVID-19 set up by Johanniter Austria

To prepare for a possible increase in suspected corona cases, Johanniter Austria and the Samaritan Association took measures on behalf of the City of Vienna in April and set up a new care centre for suspected COVID-19 cases in a former hospital. The care centre can accommodate 61 people. The capacities are intended for people who should be in quarantine due to suspected infection with the coronavirus, but who cannot be cared for at home. This can affect people who live in confined spaces at home with other family members.

“The care centre is not a hospital replacement and is only intended for people who are suspected to be infected. Patients are allocated via the Vienna Rescue Service,”
explained Johanniter Managing Director Robert Heindl in April.

The care centre is operated by a total of 30 paramedics and nurses, including full-time and volunteer employees as well as civil servants.

St John Ambulance’s supporting measures to the NHS and the public

The deployment of volunteers to hospital emergency departments has been piloted, and the charity’s ambulances and highly trained crews are being put at the health service’s disposal. St John is also working on fast tracking more people with existing first aid qualifications and clinical skills into the organisation.

“As a charity, with around 8,500 available health volunteers, and England’s auxiliary ambulance service, St John stands ready to offer extra, immediate support to the NHS and the public, as required. We are working closely with NHS England and the National Ambulance Strategic Advisor on how we can support the health service during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

said St John Ambulance’s Ambulance and Community Response Director, Craig Harman. Read all details here.

Support with supplies

S.O.G.IT’s supplying support

Our Italian member is refunding grocery and medical supply bills of volunteers. For the purchase of medicines and food, S.O.G.IT pays the amount to the volunteers that help the locals with their shopping. They encourage the volunteer to deliver outside the door of the homes and equip them with all necessary safety devices.

Johanniter Germany engages in support with supplies in various ways. They support the local food bank with their cars in the city of Stade and distribute food to homeless people in Bremen and Aachen. Their volunteers also help the risk-groups by doing their shopping for them. Everyone can contact them and make a shopping list. The volunteers collect the list and the money for the purchase, do the shopping and bring it with change and receipt to the door.

Support with vaccinations

Johanniter Germany supports the establishment and operation of vaccination centres nationwide, which are intended to protect the population against the COVID-19 virus.

“With our established disaster management structures, we are well prepared to make our contribution to contain the virus,” says Jörg Lüssem, Member of the Federal Board of Johanniter.

In many regions, preparations for the operation of vaccination centres and the provision of mobile vaccination teams are ongoing. All nine regional Johanniter associations are currently involved in the implementation at around 200 locations in Germany.

As an aid organisation, Johanniter Germany has more than 40,000 volunteers. More than 6,000 of them have specialised disaster management training. They are available in 194 civil protection units throughout Germany to take over tasks in situations such as the current Corona pandemic. Read more (in German) here.

St John Ambulance volunteers are supporting the NHS England and NHS Improvement COVID-19 vaccination programme. The first teams were sent in to vaccination centres across the country on Monday January 11.

Recruitment from St John Ambulance’s existing volunteers and employees has been boosted by thousands of people trained in first aid by the charity, with additional capacity coming from partner organisations including the Royal Voluntary Service, which runs the NHS Volunteer Responder programme.

More than 30,000 people have stepped forward to support the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme through St John, so far, and the numbers are rising fast every day. Teams of highly-trained St John Ambulance volunteers will administer injections, support people through the vaccination process and care for people before and after they receive their jabs.