Kaiser hospital officials announced Saturday that 43 emergency responders from Kaiser Permanente in San Jose tested positive for COVID-19 between December 27 and January 1.
The hospital is investigating whether an incident in which a staff member briefly appeared at the emergency room on Christmas Day wearing an air-powered costume with a ventilator may have resulted in air droplets spreading throughout the hospital.
“Using our infection-proven protocols, we investigate the outbreak and use contact tracking to personally notify and test personnel or patients exposed during this time based on CDC and public health guidelines,” said a spokesman in a statement.
The hospital says it will no longer allow air-powered suits at any facilities.
Kaiser said the worker wearing the costume had no symptoms at the time and was only trying to lift the mood during a stressful time. But an ER officer who asked not to be identified said there may be another reason for the outbreak.
“They were doing respiratory treatments in a room that were not intended,” said the employee.
The hospital said the emergency department is being thoroughly cleaned, and officials said the hospital is open and safe for patients to receive care.
But the employee said Kaiser’s claim that they did a thorough cleaning of the department after the outbreak was untrue.
“That’s a lie,” said the employee. “All they did was come in and thoroughly clean the small break room. They didn’t do the other parts of the emergency room and there was no thorough cleaning. “
The hospital is working to quickly test all emergency department staff and doctors for the virus, and anyone who tests positive or has symptoms will quarantine the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, hospital officials said.
“Even as the vaccine begins to be distributed in our communities, given the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, we are still vulnerable and it remains critical that everyone continues to use the methods to protect ourselves and others – especially masks, wash hands, avoid meetings and socialize, ”the statement read.
Kaiser said some of the infected health workers had received their first dose of the COVID vaccine, but they were not expected to achieve immunity when the exposure occurred.
However, several health workers told NBC Bay Area they feel the hospital is not doing enough to protect them.