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Had conditions that made it difficult to wear a mask; the third test was positive; 33 caregivers, one patient affected
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Saint-Charles Health System’s investigation into a COVID-19 outbreak at its Redmond hospital revealed the source was a positive COVID patient, the organization announced Friday evening.
The patient – who had underlying health issues that sometimes made it difficult to wear a mask – was admitted to St. Charles Redmond on December 31 and was initially tested twice for COVID-19, said responsible. Since both tests came back negative, caregivers in St. Charles continued to wear droplet prevention personal protective equipment (PPE).
On January 6, the patient was tested for a third time for COVID-19, and this test came back positive.
After conducting an investigation with the help of Deschutes County Health Services and the Oregon Health Authority, the St. Charles Infection Prevention Team determined that droplet precautionary PPE from caregivers in Redmond was overwhelmed by prolonged exposure to the highly symptomatic COVID-positive patient.
“The main lesson from this outbreak is that negative COVID-19 test results are not foolproof,” said Dr. Jeff Absalon, Chief Medical Officer of St. Charles. “Despite negative test results, if a patient is very symptomatic we will need to treat them as if they are COVID-19 positive and aerosolized, in which case the higher level of PPE is required.”
Evidence suggests COVID-19 tests are more accurate five to seven days after exposure. The virus incubates for up to 14 days, taking a long time to build up in a person’s system.
To date, one patient and 33 caregivers in St. Charles of Redmond Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19. Because the health care system began its vaccination campaign on December 21, none of the 33 caregivers at Redmond hospital were fully vaccinated.
The St. Charles Infection Prevention team expects to complete its outreach to patients who may have been at risk for exposure due to the timing of their hospital stay in Redmond on Friday. All patients currently in hospital in Redmond have been told that none of them have been exposed.
“We have put in place a strong contact tracing system for caregivers that is working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Absalon said. “In the meantime, it is important to stress that we believe our Redmond hospital is a safe place to receive care.”
The healthcare system has also introduced changes at Redmond Hospital, including:
Offer the COVID-19 test to all caregivers at St. Charles Redmond Hospital
Asking caregivers to stay home and get tested if they have symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild
Increased air exchange to six times per hour
Increased air filtration to more than CDC recommendation (+ 90% filtration at 0.3 microns)
Give caregivers direct patient care roles to use N95 respirators and eye protection throughout their shift while the outbreak is ongoing
Addition of hand sanitizer and cleaning products to more locations in the facility
Ask caregivers to eat in the cafeteria or on the outdoor patio rather than in the break rooms
Added maximum capacity signage to all breakout rooms and conference rooms to ensure physical distance is maintained
Temporarily limit visitors to a higher degree than before
“This kind of situation is not nobody’s fault,” Absalon said. “Everyone works hard to maintain a safe environment, and as an organization we continue to learn and adapt to improve safety for all.”
An outbreak FAQ is also available on the St. Charles website.
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