The hospital is investigating the outbreak and told KGO-TV in an email that the “maybe” spread was linked to an “air-powered suit”.
Officials confirmed that an employee briefly appeared in the emergency room wearing an inflatable suit on Christmas day.
“Any exposure, if it occurred, would have been completely innocent and quite accidental, because the individual had no COVID symptoms and only sought to lift the spirits of those around him during a very stressful time,” Chavez said. “If anything, this should serve as a very real reminder that the virus is widespread and often asymptomatic, and we should all be vigilant.”
Emergency personnel were the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine less than 10 days ago, and the hospital said that “it would not be expected to have reached immunity when this exposure occurred. It is important not only that everyone be vaccinated, but you receive the two doses of vaccine needed to be protected. “
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The hospital says the emergency department is still open and safe to receive care and that all areas of the department are undergoing thorough cleaning. An ongoing investigation and follow-up of contacts between staff and patients are ongoing.
“Obviously, we will no longer allow air suits in our facilities,” Chavez told KGO. “At the same time, we are taking steps to strengthen safety measures among staff, including physical distancing and lack of assembly in break rooms, lack of sharing of food or drink and masks at all times.”
Read the full hospital statement below:
“The health and safety of our patients, employees and doctors is our highest priority. We established that 43 staff members from the Kaiser Permanente San Jose emergency department tested positive for COVID-19 between December 27 and January 1. we will make sure that every affected staff member receives the care and support they need. Using our infection prevention protocols, we investigate the outbreak and use contact tracking to notify and personally test staff or patients who have been exposed during this time based on CDC and public health guidelines. We are also moving fast to test all emergency services staff and doctors for COVID-19. Employees who have confirmed that they have COVID-19 or are suspected of having COVID-19 due to symptoms will not enter operation, adhering to COVID-19 isolation protocols according to the Kaiser Permanente and CDC guidelines.
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center is open and safe to receive care. All areas of the emergency department are thoroughly cleaned, in addition to the rigorous safety protocols already in place. All of our healthcare professionals will receive weekly tests for COVID-19 and rapid tests for anyone with symptoms or exposure to a person with COVID-19. Masks are needed in all areas, and we continue to reconfigure our common processes and spaces, such as staff disruption rooms, to limit staffing.
We are grateful to our employees, nurses and physicians for their dedication to providing excellent and compassionate care every day. Nearly 40,000 Kaiser Permanente health workers in Northern California have already received COVID-19 vaccinations, with several follow-ups each day, bringing us one step closer to controlling the pandemic. Even as the vaccine begins to be delivered in our communities, given the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, we are all still vulnerable and it remains essential that everyone continue to use methods to protect ourselves and others – especially masks, hand washing, avoiding meetings and social distancing “.
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