A coronavirus The outbreak in the emergency department of the Kaiser Permanent in San Jose has affected 43 staff members over the past week, hospital officials said. Investigators are trying to determine if the sudden spread was caused by an employee wearing an inflatable Christmas costume at the emergency service on Dec. 25, Kaiser vice president Irene Chávez said.
In a statement to CBS San Francisco, Chávez said the outbreak began on December 27th.
“We have determined that 43 staff members of the San Jose Kaiser Permanent emergency department have tested positive for COVID-19 between December 27 and January 1,” Chávez said. “We will ensure that all affected staff members receive the care and support they need. Through our infection prevention protocols, we are investigating the outbreak and using contact tracking to personally notify and test any staff or patients. which has been exposed during this time period in accordance with CDC and public health guidelines “.
“We are also moving quickly to test COVID-19 on all emergency service employees and doctors,” he continued. “Employees confirmed to have COVID-19 or suspected of having COVID-19 due to symptoms will not enter work.”
The hospital’s emergency department has also undergone a thorough clean-up and the medical center remains open.
Officials said one of the infected troops “briefly appeared in the emergency service on Dec. 25 in an air-powered disguise.”
“Any exposure, if it occurred, would have been completely innocent and quite accidental, as the individual had no symptoms of COVID and only intended to lift the spirits of those around him at a very stressful time,” the hospital told statement.
The outbreak occurs when Santa Clara County hospitals are being pushed to the limit by a wave of COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, county health officials reported there were 1,784 new positive cases with 37 deaths and 108 hospitalizations. The county has had a continuous average of 7 days of about 1,000 positive test results each day.
There were only 10 beds available in the ICU in the county of more than 2 million residents as of Saturday.