The inflatable suit may have taken 43 hospital employees with COVID – official

An inflatable Christmas costume could be to blame after dozens of employees at a California hospital tested positive for COVID last week.

A Kaiser Permanente San Jose Emergency Department official confirmed that 43 employees contracted the disease between December 27 and January 1, after an employee came in “briefly” wearing an “air-powered costume” on December 25.

“Any exposure, had it occurred, would have been completely innocent and 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,” Irene Chavez, senior vice president and manager downtown area said, San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“At the very least, this should serve as a very real reminder that the virus is widespread, and often without symptoms, and we should all be vigilant,” continued Chavez. Authorities said all of their health care professionals will now receive weekly tests for COVID-19.

In addition, inflatable costumes “obviously” will no longer be allowed in the hospital’s emergency department, which is undergoing thorough cleaning and remains open, Chavez said. The exact type of inflatable suit used was not immediately clear.

According to a hospital statement obtained by ABC7, the center used contact tracking to notify and test all employees and patients potentially exposed to the disease. He said employees suspected of having COVID will not come to work until they are released.

Facial coverings are required in all areas of the hospital and officials said that common spaces, such as break rooms, will now have stricter limitations on the number of staff.

Authorities said that about 40,000 Kaiser Permanente health workers in the state had already received vaccines against COVID, but did not say whether that included anyone believed to have been infected during the period from December 1 to January 1.

Department officials were the first to be vaccinated. The hospital said that “they were not expected to achieve immunity when this exposure occurred,” reported ABC7.

The hospital said: “Even when the vaccine is starting to be delivered in our communities, given the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, we are all still vulnerable and it remains critical that everyone continues to use the methods to help protect us. , especially masks, hand washing, avoiding meetings and social distance. “

The California Department of Public Health said on Saturday that there were 53,341 new cases registered in the state on January 1, bringing the total to 2,345,909 positive cases. So far, there have been 26,357 deaths in the state, the figures show.