Covid-19 Outbreak at Kaiser SJ

[tzrider]

44 Kaiser staff members have tested positive and one has died after contracting Covid-19 at an unsanctioned holiday gathering on Christmas.

One employee had worn an inflatable Christmas tree with an air circulation system to pressurize it and officials are investigating the possibility it contributed to dispersing the virus into the room.

It reads like a bioterrorism plot...

Source

 

[afm199]

I just wonder what kind of medical worker thought that an air inflated costume would be a good idea, and what kind of medical workers would stay in the same room with one.

 

[bojangle]

I just wonder what kind of medical worker thought that an air inflated costume would be a good idea, and what kind of medical workers would stay in the same room with one.

Well, the one who died was a registration clerk, so the employee who came in with the costume might not have had a medical background. But certainly most others present would have. Seems like a very dumb idea, especially in 20/20 hindsight.

 

[DucatiHoney]

My mom and sister are both RNs and the stories they tell about their co-workers can make you want to re-think that visit to the hospital. I'm always surprised to find that medical folks (this includes doctors) are prone to the same faults, logical fallacies, and beliefs that are frankly, quite unbelievable given their training. Everything from poor personal hygiene to a disbelief in science. It's just job to most of them, not a calling, as we'd all like to think. They're human, and they do dumb stuff, just like the rest of us humans.

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

I just wonder what kind of medical worker thought that an air inflated costume would be a good idea, and what kind of medical workers would stay in the same room with one.

Along with DH's post, I think we can ascertain that medical workers are not necessarily engineers (nor can tell whether a pump has three cylinders!!!1)

My conjoint point is that it is NOT necessarily certain the inflatable suit caused this. By all means however do investigate--as long as it's not half-proof..

 

[NorCalAthlete]

My mom and sister are both RNs and the stories they tell about their co-workers can make you want to re-think that visit to the hospital. I'm always surprised to find that medical folks (this includes doctors) are prone to the same faults, logical fallacies, and beliefs that are frankly, quite unbelievable given their training. Everything from poor personal hygiene to a disbelief in science. It's just job to most of them, not a calling, as we'd all like to think. They're human, and they do dumb stuff, just like the rest of us humans.

I met a dental hygienist who 100% believed there were microchips in vaccines and thus refused to get one so they wouldn't track her. All while "checking in" to everywhere we went on Instagram and Facebook and Snapchat and whatnot.

Sure, not quite a nurse believing that stuff, but...man.

 

[afm199]

My mom and sister are both RNs and the stories they tell about their co-workers can make you want to re-think that visit to the hospital. I'm always surprised to find that medical folks (this includes doctors) are prone to the same faults, logical fallacies, and beliefs that are frankly, quite unbelievable given their training. Everything from poor personal hygiene to a disbelief in science. It's just job to most of them, not a calling, as we'd all like to think. They're human, and they do dumb stuff, just like the rest of us humans.

Yup. My recent hospital stay had me shaking my head. The guy cleaning the room was the best in terms of technique. I actually had a nurse knock a pillow on the floor, pick it up, and put it back on the stack of pillows for me to use. This when I had six inch long healing wound on the back of my neck to contact said pillow. I was shocked.

 

[afm199]

I met a dental hygienist who 100% believed there were microchips in vaccines and thus refused to get one so they wouldn't track her. All while "checking in" to everywhere we went on Instagram and Facebook and Snapchat and whatnot.

Sure, not quite a nurse believing that stuff, but...man.

I know a corporate director at a scientific company who believes firmly in chemtrails and has to be repeatedly told not to discuss them with clients. :laughing

Along with DH's post, I think we can ascertain that medical workers are not necessarily engineers (nor can tell whether a pump has three cylinders!!!1)

My conjoint point is that it is NOT necessarily certain the inflatable suit caused this. By all means however do investigate--as long as it's not half-proof..

Yup, though if he had the virus, it is definitely a good way to spread it. I am a bit iffy because one person died nine days after the event, which is a pretty short time for a Covid infection to go from initial to deadly. Almost wonder if the dead guy might have been a vector, but I guess they get checked pretty often.

 

[Yakoo752]

I have the opportunity to sit on many local hospital's re-escalation calls where they discuss how to return to normal operations and Covid's current impact on staffing.

There "haven't" been any identified outbreaks in the clinical setting, all have occurred in either the breakrooms or in staff gathering outside of normal work hours. There" haven't" been any identified outbreaks amongst physician staff outside of the breakrooms. Which helps identify which staff populations are more at risk of bending the rules...

This is the "first" BUT they aren't being very vocal about who all was infected except this tidbit

No patients are believed to have been infected but officials said this weekend that they were conducting additional tests for anybody who had been exposed

Which leads me to believe, this outbreak involved ED staff outside of the actual ED ie they gathered in a breakroom to celebrate with a pot luck (along these lines)

I put haven't in quotes because I obviously didn't do the tracing and didn't do any of the investigation. This is just what I am hearing in these meetings.

 

[bojangle]

I know a corporate director at a scientific company who believes firmly in chemtrails and has to be repeatedly told not to discuss them with clients. :laughing



Yup, though if he had the virus, it is definitely a good way to spread it. I am a bit iffy because one person died nine days after the event, which is a pretty short time for a Covid infection to go from initial to deadly. Almost wonder if the dead guy might have been a vector, but I guess they get checked pretty often.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[afm199]

Which leads me to believe, this outbreak involved ED staff outside of the actual ED ie they gathered in a breakroom to celebrate with a pot luck (along these lines)

I put haven't in quotes because I obviously didn't do the tracing and didn't do any of the investigation. This is just what I am hearing in these meetings.

My Kaiser physicians are fucking paranoid about protocols. The nurses slightly less, the admin staff yet slightly less. One of my docs took off six months.

I saw some scary stuff when I was in hospital. Though for the nurses on a ward it's so difficult to maintain protocols.

 

[Blankpage]

Comforting to know that a Christmas gathering sounded like a good idea to that many hospital workers.

My sister in law is a nurse and acts as though covid doesn’t exist. She won’t even talk about it. She’s not assigned to covid work.

 

[berth]

My mom and sister are both RNs and the stories they tell about their co-workers can make you want to re-think that visit to the hospital. I'm always surprised to find that medical folks (this includes doctors) are prone to the same faults, logical fallacies, and beliefs that are frankly, quite unbelievable given their training. Everything from poor personal hygiene to a disbelief in science. It's just job to most of them, not a calling, as we'd all like to think. They're human, and they do dumb stuff, just like the rest of us humans.

What's amazing is that, in theory, these folks are on the "front line", and see the impact of this in ways I hope most of us haven't, yet "don't take it seriously" all the same.

 

[afm199]

What's amazing is that, in theory, these folks are on the "front line", and see the impact of this in ways I hope most of us haven't, yet "don't take it seriously" all the same.

What I experienced in my recent stay ( Nov 17-19) was that the nurses and support staff see so many people so quickly that it's really difficult to maintain protocols. I understand that, they get sloppy.

 

[WoodsChick]

Yup. My recent hospital stay had me shaking my head. The guy cleaning the room was the best in terms of technique. I actually had a nurse knock a pillow on the floor, pick it up, and put it back on the stack of pillows for me to use. This when I had six inch long healing wound on the back of my neck to contact said pillow. I was shocked.

I spent a few nights at UCSF and was really pleasantly surprised how each and every staff member conducted themselves. The hospital was really busy, yet the protocols for elevators (signage everywhere with passenger limits and stickers on the floors in the 4 corners, etc) and whatnot were strictly adhered to. The sink in my room was used constantly by everyone that came in, and the boxes of gloves were stocked at all times. It seemed to be a well-oiled machine with the staff members all on the same page. I was pretty impressed.

 

[mikev]

What I experienced in my recent stay ( Nov 17-19) was that the nurses and support staff see so many people so quickly that it's really difficult to maintain protocols. I understand that, they get sloppy.

Yep. Partially this, and partially the fact that they are being worked to death.

 

[PaleHorse]

I have sibling that works for Kaiser that helps schedule/staff the ICU's. What the media is not telling people is that ICU nurses and doctors have started refusing to go to work in the bay area. Not because they have Covid, because they are terrified of how contagious it is and how quickly it spreads. They don't want to risk bringing it home to their families.

 

[budman]

That is terrible and surprising. People chasing a little normal getting banged by the bug.

This thread is dashing my hope a bit.

 

[Critter]

I have sibling that works for Kaiser that helps schedule/staff the ICU's. What the media is not telling people is that ICU nurses and doctors have started refusing to go to work in the bay area. Not because they have Covid, because they are terrified of how contagious it is and how quickly it spreads. They don't want to risk bringing it home to their families.

Scary stuff....I can't imagine what else we aren't being told.

 

[Agent Orange]

I have sibling that works for Kaiser that helps schedule/staff the ICU's. What the media is not telling people is that ICU nurses and doctors have started refusing to go to work in the bay area. Not because they have Covid, because they are terrified of how contagious it is and how quickly it spreads. They don't want to risk bringing it home to their families.

My brother in laws brother is a pediatrician back in Indiana. He says he refuses to work in the ICU wards because he's not risking his neck for mostly a of bunch anti maskers that are socializing like there is no pandemic. I wouldnt be surprised if doctors and nurses here felt the same.