There were conditions that made it difficult to use a mask; the third test was positive; 33 caregivers, one affected patient
REDMOND, Oregon. (KTVZ) – The St. Charles Health System investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak at its Redmond hospital revealed that the source was a positive COVID patient, the organization announced on Friday.
The patient – who had underlying health problems that sometimes made it difficult to wear a mask – was admitted to St. Charles Redmond on December 31 and was initially tested twice for COVID-19, officials said. As both tests were negative, St. Charles caregivers continued to use drop protective precautions (PPE).
On January 6, the patient was tested a third time for COVID-19, and this test was positive.
After conducting an investigation with the assistance of Deschutes County Health Services and the Oregon Health Authority, the St. Charles Infection Prevention team determined that the Redmond caregiver precautionary droplet PPE was overwhelmed by exposure prolonged duration to the highly symptomatic COVID-positive patient.
“The important learning from this outbreak is that the negative results of the COVID-19 test are not infallible,” said Dr. Jeff Absalon, chief physician at St. Charles. “Despite the negative test results, if a patient is highly symptomatic, we will need to treat him as if he were COVID-19 positive and in aerosol, in which case a higher level of PPE is needed.”
The evidence suggests that the COVID-19 tests are more accurate five to seven days after exposure. The virus incubates for up to 14 days, taking some time to form in a person’s system.
To date, a patient and 33 St. Charles caregivers at Redmond Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19. As the health system began its vaccination campaign on December 21, none of the 33 caregivers at Redmond Hospital has been fully vaccinated.
On Friday, the St. Charles Infection Prevention team hopes to complete its care for patients who may be at risk of exposure due to their time at Redmond Hospital. All current patients admitted to the Redmond hospital were informed that none of them were exposed.
“We have a strong contact tracking system for caregivers who are working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” said Absalon. “In the meantime, it is important to emphasize that we are sure that our Redmond hospital is a safe place to receive care.”
The healthcare system has also instituted some changes at the Redmond hospital, including:
· Offer the COVID-19 test to all caregivers at St. Charles Redmond Hospital
· Ask caregivers to stay home and get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild
· Increasing air changes to six times an hour
· Increase air filtration to more than the CDC recommendation (+ 90% filtration at 0.3 microns)
· Instruct caregivers in direct patient care functions to wear N95 respirators and eye protection throughout the shift while the outbreak is underway
· Add hand sanitizer and cleaning products to more locations in the facility
· Ask caregivers to eat in the cafeteria or on the outside patio, rather than in rest rooms
· Add maximum capacity signage to all break rooms and conference rooms to ensure that physical distance can be maintained
· Temporarily limit visitors to a higher degree than before
“This kind of situation is nobody’s fault,” said Absalon. “Everyone is working hard to maintain a safe environment and, as an organization, we continue to learn and adjust to improve everyone’s safety.”
An outbreak FAQ is also available on the St. Charles website.