AN coronavirus outbreak in the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Emergency Department, affected 43 staff members last week, hospital officials said. Investigators are trying to determine whether the sudden spread was caused by an employee wearing an inflatable Christmas costume in the emergency department on December 25, said Kaiser vice president Irene Chavez.
In a statement to CBS San Francisco, Chávez said the outbreak began on December 27.
“We determined that 43 members of the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Emergency Department team tested positive for COVID-19 between December 27 and January 1,” said Chavez. “We will ensure that all affected employees receive the care and support they need. Using our infection prevention protocols, we are investigating the outbreak and using contact tracking to personally notify and test any employee or patient that has been exposed during this period. based on CDC and public health guidelines. “
“We are also moving quickly to test all employees and doctors in the emergency department for COVID-19,” she continued. “Employees with confirmed COVID-19 or suspected of having COVID-19 due to symptoms will not be coming to work.”
The hospital’s emergency room has also undergone a thorough cleaning and the Medical Center remains open.
Authorities said one of the infected employees “appeared briefly in the emergency department on December 25 wearing an air-powered costume”.
“Any exposure, had it occurred, would have been completely innocent and quite accidental, as the individual had no symptoms of COVID and just sought to lift the spirits of those around him during a very stressful period,” the hospital said in the statement.
The outbreak comes as Santa Clara County hospitals are being pushed to the limit by an increase in COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, county health officials reported that there were 1,784 new positive cases, with 37 deaths and 108 hospitalizations. The county had a continuous 7-day average of nearly 1,000 positive test results per day.
There were only 10 ICU beds available in the municipality of more than 2 million residents on Saturday.