A hospital in California is facing a coronavirus outbreak among its staff that may have been tied to an inflatable costume worn at Christmas to cheer patients up.
At least 43 staff members tested positive for the virus between Dec. 27 and New Year’s Day, according to a statement from the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center on Saturday. The hospital’s emergency department was thoroughly cleaned and all infected staff members were isolated.
The hospital is investigating whether the fan could spread drops on an ‘air-powered costume’ after a staff member briefly wore it in the emergency department on Christmas Day.
“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,” he said. the hospital said.
The Kaiser Permanent San Jose Medical Center will no longer allow such costumes in its facility, the statement said.
Emergency staff at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, which was able to get a vaccine for Covid-19, only received their first vaccination days before Christmas Day and would not have reached immunity by the time of the incident.
No one would have shot their second booster on Christmas Day.
“During this period, even as vaccination begins to be provided in our communities, it is crucial that everyone protects themselves and each other by continuing to wear masks, wash hands, avoid gatherings and practice social distance,” the hospital said. .
None of the staff members who tested positive will return to work, although the hospital said it involved additional staff in the preparation.
Hospitals in California have been flooded with cases in recent weeks amid a new rise in the virus, which has brought a record number of daily deaths and hospitalizations.
The state’s Bay Area has only 5.1 percent available in its intensive care units. Southern California is hospitalized, and in many of its hospitals there are no beds available because staff create temporary units in gift shops or children’s wards.
According to California, 2,345,909 confirmed cases of coronavirus were recorded, with more than 26,000 deaths numbers released by the state Department of Public Health on Saturday.