The number of employees infected during a deadly coronavirus outbreak in the Kaiser San Jose emergency room rose from 44 to 60, hospital officials said on Tuesday, as Kaiser and Santa Clara County are investigating whether an inflatable suit worn by a employee at Christmas may have made the virus spread widely.
County officials have confirmed that they are also looking into whether the new highly contagious coronavirus strain discovered last week in southern California may have played a role. The strain, known as B117, was first identified in the UK and can be up to 70% more transmissible than other strains, although it is not believed to be more deadly.
At least one person infected in the Kaiser San Jose outbreak died, the hospital system confirmed on Sunday.
Kaiser’s doctors contacted all 70 patients who were treated and discharged from the emergency department on December 25, officials said in a statement. The hospital is also making coronavirus tests available to patients.
Citing privacy laws, Kaiser employees declined to say whether patients were infected.
Air-powered suits like those worn by the Kaiser employee are inflated by small air pumps, allowing the suit to spread over the wearer’s body. Kaiser has since banned fantasies.
Public health experts consider it plausible that the bombs push infected air and droplets through the fantasy openings. In that case, being indoors may have contributed to the spread of the infection.
“This is a stark reminder that COVID-19 can easily be transmitted over the air and that even letting your guard down for a moment can have consequences,” the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health said in a statement on Tuesday .
Nanette Asimov is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @NanetteAsimov