The inflated Christmas costume worn by the hospital employee is responsible for infecting 43 emergency department employees with COVID-19 at the California hospital
- 43 employees from the Emergency Department at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center tested positive for COVID-19 between December 27 and January 1
- Authorities are investigating whether an air-powered costume worn by an employee on Christmas Day could be linked to the outbreak
- “Any exposure, if it had occurred, would be completely innocent and accidental, as the individual had no symptoms of COVID,” hospital officials said.
- The emergency team was the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine less than 10 days ago, but it still would not have achieved immunity without the second injection
- All those infected are now isolating themselves and the hospital is undergoing a thorough cleaning
At least 43 employees at a California hospital were infected with COVID-19 last week and authorities are investigating whether an inflatable Christmas costume worn by an employee on holiday may have caused the outbreak.
Emergency Department staff at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center tested positive between December 27 and January 1.
Authorities said an employee appeared briefly in the emergency department on Christmas Day wearing an air-powered inflatable suit.
The employee who wore the costume was not revealed.
“A staff member appeared briefly in the emergency department on December 25 wearing an air-powered costume,” Irene Chavez, senior vice president and area manager at Kaiser’s San Jose Medical Center, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Any exposure, had it occurred, would have been completely innocent and quite accidental, since the individual had no symptoms of COVID and just sought to lift the spirits of those around him during a very stressful period,” she said.
At least 43 Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Emergency Department employees tested positive for COVID-19 last week and officials say an inflatable suit worn by an employee on Christmas Day may be to blame
The emergency team was the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine less than 10 days ago, but the hospital said that “it would not be expected that they would achieve immunity when this exposure occurred”.
The authorities added: ‘It is important not only that everyone be vaccinated, but receive the two necessary doses of the vaccine to be protected’.
Health officials say people must receive both doses of the vaccine to be protected.
The hospital is now investigating the outbreak.
The hospital’s emergency room remains open and safe to receive patients and all areas of the department undergo a thorough cleaning, while those infected are isolated.
The emergency team was the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine less than 10 days ago, but the hospital said “it would not be expected that they would achieve immunity when this exposure occurred”. A view of a Kaiser Permanente employee being vaccinated on December 14 above
The outbreak comes at a time when cases are increasing in California’s epicenter, with intensive care capacity dropping to 5.1 percent in the bay area on Saturday. A view of a PPE nurse in the ICU at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana on December 18 above
Overall, California has recorded more than 2.3 million COVID-19 cases and more than 26,000 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began. A view of nurses caring for a COVID-19 patient at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on December 18 above
“Obviously, we will no longer allow air-powered fantasies at our facilities,” said Chávez.
“At the same time, we are taking steps to reinforce safety precautions among employees, including physical distance and not meeting in rest rooms, not sharing food or drinks and masks at all times,” said the hospital, according to ABC7.
DailyMail.com got in touch for more details.
Nearly 40,000 health professionals at Kaiser Permanente have already received COVID-19 vaccines and more are expected soon.
The outbreak comes at a time when cases are increasing in California’s epicenter, with intensive care capacity dropping to 5.1 percent in the bay area on Saturday.
Overall, California has recorded more than 2.3 million COVID-19 cases and more than 26,000 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began. Across the country, more than 20 million cases have been reported and more than 350,000 deaths.