Inflatable Christmas costume suspected in COVID outbreak at California hospital

[TexasTowelie]

A Kaiser Permanente San Jose emergency room employee briefly donned an inflatable costume on Christmas to “lift the spirits” of fellow workers, hospital officials say.

Now 43 hospital employees, including the person who wore the costume, have tested positive for COVID-19, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. Officials say the air-powered costume may have inadvertently spread the virus through the emergency room.

“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 them during what is a very stressful time,” said Irene Chavez, hospital senior vice president, in a statement, KGO reported.

“If anything, this should serve as a very real reminder that the virus is widespread, and often without symptoms, and we must all be vigilant,” Chavez said, according to the station.

Read more: https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article248243520.html

[Susan Calvin]

1. Just goes to show you can't be too careful.

I'd be interested to know if the virus was on the costume, or the person, undetected or asymptomatic, or just spread more because the costume was an inflatable.