Amid COVID-19, 673d MDSS Airmen innovate added layer of protection

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michael Shoemaker, 673d Medical Support Squadron biomedical equipment technician, demonstrates how intubation might look on U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Taylor, 673d Medical Support Squadron medical logistics noncommissioned officer in charge of acquisitions, under an innovated, plastic polycarbonate enclosure at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 7, 2020. Shoemaker and Taylor designed and built the reusable device to be a protective barrier between medical providers and a patient to prevent possible exposure to COVID-19 and other airborne diseases. The enclosure can be placed over a patient’s head and upper torso prior to intubation or similar treatments, with access to the patient via two holes at the head of the enclosure for a physician's hands and arms, and two side doors for additional access.