Instead of spreading Christmas cheer, an inflatable holiday costume may have helped spread COVID-19 to dozens of staff members in a California hospital, according to a report.
Forty-three employees of the Kaiser Permanent San Jose Medical Center contracted the virus between December 27 and New Year’s Day, and according to officials, the outbreak could be linked to an employee who entered an “air-powered costume” in the facility on Christmas Day. . according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The hospital is investigating the possibility of the fan on the costume spreading respiratory droplets exhaled by a person infected with the virus through the emergency department.
“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 arouse the minds of those around them during a very stressful time,” Irene said. Chavez, senior vice president and area manager. of the center told the newspaper.
“If it’s anything, it should be a very important reminder that the virus is widespread, and often asymptomatic, and that we should all be vigilant,” Chavez added.
The doctors, nurses, technicians and assistants who tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week will now be isolated while officials conduct contact detection and staff members thoroughly clean the hospital’s emergency department.
Inflatable costumes are now “obviously” banned from the health care facility, Chavez said.
Some 40,000 Kaiser Permanent health workers in California have already been vaccinated against the deadly virus, but according to the report, it is unclear whether any of the infected workers were among those vaccinated.
It is also unclear exactly what type of inflatable costume the staff is wearing.