'Shifted our focus:' Fond du Lac manufacturer helps with negative pressure rooms, COVID-19 barriers

FOND DU LAC -- A former combat medic is using his military background to help medical staff wage war against the coronavirus.

"We don't have another month to come up with a solution," said Patrick Santini with ModTruss Inc. "It needs to be deployed immediately."

Santini, an Army veteran and former combat medic, knows a thing or two about practicing medicine during wartime.

"We've really shifted our focus with the whole COVID-19 response," said Santini.

He runs ModTruss Inc., a manufacturing company looking to provide reinforcements to those in the face of the virus.

"So all to the elements that are needed to create a negative pressure environment, we're using on a daily basis, so what we did is, we really re-purposed some of the technology we already had, and focused in on putting together a package that met all of those requirements," said Santini.

They came up with a plan to create barriers to keep people separated safely.

"So by keeping everybody isolated, it prevents the infection from further spreading," said Santini. "This is a very easy, cost effective barrier to set up."

From negative pressure triage rooms to barriers meant to separate people in public places, ModTruss Inc. is arming troops with the right equipment in the battle against COVID-19.

"With a hard surface, it makes it very easy to clean and sterilize, as well," said Santini.