With a red nose and a big smile, a Christmas tree costume worn by a Kaiser employee in an emergency in California at Christmas was meant to give courage.
Instead, it could help spread COVID-19, infect more than 40 people and kill one at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center.
NBC Bay Area News Reporter Marianne Favro share an image of the costume Twitter. It shows a smiling Christmas tree with a red nose with red wreaths and yellow balls and a star on top.
Costumes like these work via a fan with battery that draws air into the suit and gives shape. Kaiser is investigating whether the costume, which the staff wore shortly after Dec. 25, may have contributed to the outbreak by spreading drops through the air.
“Any exposure, if it had taken place, would have been completely innocent and accidental, as the individual had no COVID symptoms and was only trying to lift the minds of those around them during a very stressful time,” Kaiser said. San Jose Senior said. Vice President Irene Chavez, adding that the holiday costume had not been approved in advance by Kaiser.
According to Chavez, 44 emergency personnel have tested positive for the virus since Dec. 27; one person is dead.
Kaiser does not disclose the name of the employee who died due to COVID complications. “Out of respect for the privacy of the patient and the family, we have no additional information to provide,” Kaiser said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this terrible loss. We offer support to our employees during this difficult time.”
The emergency department is open and is being cleaned deep, Chavez said. Nearly 40,000 health workers from Kaiser Permanente in Northern California have already received COVID-19 vaccinations, she said.
Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF, spoke on Monday morning about the tragic incident in Kaiser on KCBS Radio. “The idea that they want to bring some joy is noble,” Wachter said. “It’s really a sad and horrible thing. It emphasizes the point over and over again: you can not say who HAPPENED.”
Associated Press contributed to this story.