Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1398595
17 INFECTION CONTROL Las Vegas hospital workers contract COVID-19 after attending party By Kelly Gooch A t least 11 employees of a Las Vegas hospital were infected with COVID-19 after attending a June par- ty, according to emails from public health officials shared with the Review-Journal. The cluster of cases affected vaccinated employees of Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, according to emails from the Southern Nevada Health District shared with the Review-Journal. Eight of the employees were fully vaccinated in December 2020 and January 2021, and two had been partially vacci- nated with one dose, according to the emails. One infect- ed employee was unvaccinated, and at least 10 of the 11 employees were infected with the delta variant. In a statement shared with Becker's, Sunrise CEO Todd Sklamberg cited an off-site private party on June 7 as the source of the outbreak. He said all the workers who tested positive had returned to their jobs as of mid-July. "Although all were vaccinated, we want to acknowledge our colleagues recognized their own symptoms [similar to al- lergies or the common cold] and chose to get tested," Mr. Sklamberg wrote. "There were no exposures to our patients, as our staff complies with all PPE guidelines, masking at all times and wearing face shields with all patient encounters." The health district also cited exposure outside work as the source of the outbreak and closed its probe into the cases, according to the Review-Journal. n Scenic Mountain Medical Center-A Steward Family Hospital (Big Spring) Seton Medical Center Harker Heights Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano e Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus (El Paso) Wadley Regional Medical Center (Texarkana) Wise Regional Health System (Decatur) Virginia Carilion New River Valley Medical Center (Christiansburg) Centra Southside Community Hospital (Farmville) Fauquier Hospital (Warrenton) Inova Loudoun Hospital (Leesburg) Mary Immaculate Hospital (Newport News) Norton Community Hospital Twin County Regional Hospital (Galax) Wythe County Community Hospital (Wytheville) Washington Lourdes Medical Center (Pasco) Multicare Auburn Medical Center St. Clare Hospital (Lakewood) Swedish Issaquah Hospital Virginia Mason Memorial (Yakima) West Virginia Greenbrier Valley Medical Center (Ronceverte) Jackson General Hospital (Ripley) Raleigh General Hospital (Beckley) Wisconsin Bay Area Medical Center (Marinette) Community Memorial Hospital (Menomonee Falls) Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center (Prairie du Chien) Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Cedar (Menomonie) Ripon Medical Center St Joseph's Community Hospital of West Bend edacare Medical Center-New London Waupun Memorial Hospital Wyoming Cody Regional Health Wyoming Medical Center (Casper) n Adult COVID-19 cases fell 69% after vaccine rollout, CDC finds By Mackenzie Bean T he COVID-19 vaccine rollout significantly cut cases, deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department visits among U.S. adults, according to the CDC's latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published June 8. CDC researchers analyzed data on these metrics by age group for two time periods: Nov. 29 to Dec. 12, 2020 (the prevaccination period), and April 18 to May 1. Five findings: 1. By May 1, 82 percent of adults 85 and over had re- ceived at least one vaccine dose, along with 63 percent of those 50-64, and 42 percent of adults ages 18-49. 2. Between April 18 and May 1, COVID-19 incidence was 69 percent lower among all adults compared to the pre- vaccination period. 3. Emergency department visits for COVID-19 also de- creased 59 percent among all adults. 4. The rate ratio of COVID-19 hospital admission rates among people ages 70 and up compared to those ages 18-49 was down 65 percent by May 1. 5. The rate ratio of deaths among adults age 65 and over compared to adults ages 18-49 declined 66 percent over the same time period. "These results suggest that tailored efforts by state and local jurisdictions to rapidly increase vaccine coverage among all eligible age groups could contribute to further reductions in COVID-19 cases and severe outcomes," the CDC said. n