A coronavirus Outbreak at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Emergency Department has affected 43 staff members in the past week, hospital officials said. Investigators are trying to determine whether the sudden spread was caused by an employee who wore an inflatable Christmas costume to the emergency department on Dec. 25, Kaiser Vice President Irene Chavez said.
In a statement to CBS San Francisco, Chavez said the outbreak began on December 27.
“We determined that 43 staff members from the Kaiser Permanente San Jose emergency department tested positive for COVID-19 between December 27 and January 1,” Chavez said. “We will make sure that every member of the affected staff 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 to CDC and public health guidelines during this time. “
“We are also moving quickly to test all emergency services staff and doctors for COVID-19,” she continued. “Employees who have confirmed that they have COVID-19 or are suspected of having COVID-19 due to symptoms will not come to work.”
The hospital’s emergency department has also undergone a thorough clean-up and the Medical Center remains open.
Officials said one of the infected employees “briefly appeared in the emergency room on December 25, wearing an air suit.”
“Any exposure, if it occurred, would have been completely innocent and quite accidental, as the individual had no COVID symptoms and only sought to lift the spirits of those around him during a very stressful time,” the hospital said in a statement.
The outbreak comes as hospitals in Santa Clara County are pushed to a step by an increase in COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, county health officials reported that there were 1,784 new positive cases, with 37 deaths and 108 hospitalizations. The county had a continuous average of 7 days of almost 1,000 positive results every day.
As of Thursday, Saturday, only 10 ICU beds were available in the county, with over 2 million inhabitants.