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Veteran Texas paramedic dies due to COVID-19

Harris County ESD No. 48 Paramedic Gordon Baker, 62, died on Monday about two months after contracting the virus in the line of duty, officials said

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Photo/Harris County ESD 48 Fire Department

By Laura French

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A veteran Texas paramedic has died following a nearly two-month battle with COVID-19.

Harris County Emergency Services District No. 48 Paramedic Gordon Baker, 62, died on Monday after being on a ventilator for about a month and suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and kidney failure, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Officials said Baker contracted the virus while treating a patient and that his death will be classified as a line-of-duty death. Dozens of first responders attended a procession Monday to escort Baker’s body from the medical center.

“Gordon touched countless lives throughout his almost 30-year career, as a caregiver, a mentor and a friend. Gordon’s clinical skill and compassion for his patients is unmatched as he treated every patient as he would his family,” Harris County ESD No. 48 shared in a Facebook post shortly after Baker’s death. “The past few months have been filled with stories from EMS providers looking back at how Gordon influenced them as new paramedics and EMT’s and how his mentorship shaped them into the providers they are today.”

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