A coronavirus outbreak in the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Emergency Department, possibly caused by an inflatable Christmas costume, has affected 43 employees so far, all of whom tested positive last week, officials said.
“A staff member appeared briefly in the emergency department on December 25 wearing an air-powered costume,” said Irene Chavez, senior vice president and area manager at Kaiser’s San Jose Medical Center, in a written response to the questions of the 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.”
The department includes doctors, nurses, technicians and assistants, and those with confirmed or suspected coronavirus infection will follow isolation protocols, he added.
The Emergency Department is undergoing a thorough cleanup as authorities conduct contact tracking, Chavez said.
“All of our healthcare professionals will receive weekly tests for COVID-19 and rapid tests for anyone with symptoms or exposure to a person with COVID-19,” she said. “Masks are necessary in all areas and we are further reconfiguring our common processes and spaces, such as employee rest rooms, to limit any employee meeting.”
Air-powered suits “obviously” will no longer be allowed, she added.
“We are taking steps to enforce safety precautions among employees, including physical distance and no meeting in rest rooms, no sharing of food or drinks and masks at all times,” she said.
Nearly 40,000 Kaiser health workers in northern California received coronavirus vaccines to help control the pandemic, Chavez said, although it is not clear whether any of those affected by the outbreak were among them.
“The health and safety of our patients, staff and doctors is our highest priority,” she said. “We are grateful to our employees, nurses and doctors for their dedication to providing excellent and compassionate care every day.”
The San Jose Medical Center – and the Emergency Department – remain open, with additional staff to deal with the increase in COVID cases in the emergency room and hospital, Chavez said.
The outbreak comes amid an increase in cases across the state, with intensive care capacity dropping to 5.1% in the bay area on Saturday.
Hospitals are under increasing pressure as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the state. In Santa Clara County, 682 patients were hospitalized on January 1 – more than double the 293 reported a month earlier. Some ambulances in the county had to stay outside the emergency rooms for hours, waiting for a bed to open.
Jill Tucker is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jilltucker