Hospital worker dies in California COVID outbreak linked to inflatable costume

A COVID-19 outbreak at Kaiser Permanente San Jose hospital in California, possibly caused by an inflatable costume worn by an employee, has killed one worker, hospital officials say.

At least 44 cases linked to the outbreak in the hospital’s emergency room have been confirmed, KNTV reported. One person died of complications from COVID-19, the hospital reported Sunday night.

Co-workers said the employee who died, a registration clerk in the emergency department, was an “absolutely wonderful woman,” according to the station. Hospital officials did not identify the woman.

The outbreak began Dec. 27 after an emergency room employee briefly wore an air-powered inflatable costume at the hospital on Christmas Day, The Washington Post reported.

The costume may have been a Christmas tree, a KNTV reporter wrote on Twitter.

The employee who wore the costume also has tested positive for COVID-19, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“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.

Contact-tracing efforts are underway to identify and notify anyone who may have been exposed, Chavez told KPIX.

Some hospital workers had received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but have not received a second dose needed for full effectiveness, KNTV reported. Vaccines also do not provide a 100% guarantee against infection, hospital officials say.

The hospital is undergoing a deep cleaning and staff members are offered weekly testing, KTVU reported.

Air-powered costumes have been banned from the hospital, Chavez told the Chronicle.

“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,” Chavez said, according to the publication.

More than 85 million cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 1.8 million deaths as of Jan. 3, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 20 million confirmed cases with more than 351,000 deaths.

This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Hospital worker dies in California COVID outbreak linked to inflatable costume."