The culprit behind a large COVID-19 outbreak among employees at a California hospital is suspected to be an air-powered costume.
What We Know:
- According to Complex, an emergency room employee at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center decided to briefly wear a Christmas inspired inflatable costume on December 24th to lift co-workers spirits during this difficult time. The employee showed no symptoms of COVID-19 but may have, unknowingly, infected at least 44 other employees.
- Since the incident occurred, the medical center has banned inflatable costumes in the emergency room. The division has also undergone a deep cleaning and has sent all employees who tested positive between Dec. 27 and New Year’s Day home to self-isolate. Kaiser is still conducting contact tracing to determine any other potential exposures.
- The medical center has administered COVID-19 vaccines to some emergency room staff. Still, the vaccine does not hold strong until the second dosage is given, and the body has time to build antibodies. Even with the shot, none of the FDA approved vaccines are 100 percent effective against the virus.
- Area manager, Irene Chavez, released a statement addressing the outbreak stating, “We are taking steps to reinforce safety precautions among staff, including physical distancing and no gathering in break rooms, no sharing of food or beverages, and masks at all times.”
California is currently at the height of coronavirus cases, with over 2.4 million positive cases reported.
