COVID-19 Outbreak Infects 44, Kills One at San Jose (CA) Medical Center

According to a report from KTVU, Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center revealed that an emergency department employee died of COVID-19 complications, while 44 other emergency department staff also tested positive for COVID-19 during the past week. On Saturday, the hospital confirmed 43 positive COVID-19 cases among employees in the emergency department; on Sunday, they added another case. In addition, the hospital says an air-powered holiday-spirited costume worn by a staff member who was briefly in the emergency department on Christmas day may have played contributed to the 44 infections. Kaiser Permanente is now conducting contact tracing alongside notifications for patients and other staff who may have been exposed.  One patient who entered the emergency department on December 26 and who contacted more than a dozen staff members during her six-to eight-hour visit said she was not notified by the hospital of potential exposure. After exiting the hospital the same day, the woman said she was unaware of any possible exposure. In the week since leaving the hospital, she came in contact with several people, including a family member who drove her home, a doctor, a physical therapist, and shoppers at a Costco. All emergency department and physician staff are now being tested for COVID-19. The hospital is also undergoing a deep cleaning as well as other cleaning protocols amid the pandemic. All of Kaiser’s health care workers will b...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Coronavirus News Source Type: news