COVID cases soar among staff subgroup at hospital

Eighty percent of Sonoma Valley Hospital staff tested postive for COVID in July after displaying symptoms or being exposed to the illness.|

Eighty percent of Sonoma Valley Hospital staff members tested positive for COVID after displaying symptoms or being exposed to the illness in July, representing a dramatic increase from the norm.

“All hospital staff are tested regularly when symptomatic, and the percent that test positive for COVID in the recent past has been between 10% and 30%” said Joshua Rymer, chair of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Board of Directors, in the 2022 August Board Chair Report. “In July, that number rose dramatically, and we continue to follow protocols in sending staff who test positive home for 10 days to ensure they are not infectious.”

Ninety-seven percent of staff members at SVH are fully vaccinated for COVID and the remaining 3% have approved exemptions.

In addition, while there was just one COVID hospitalization in June, there were seven in July, partly due to a spike from July 19 to 31.

The percentage of symptomatic staff testing positive for COVID in August has decreased and was below 20% on Aug. 12, but John Hennelly, CEO of the hospital, says that the problem remains.

“This is a national problem,” he said. “People are not prioritizing masking and social distancing like we did in 2020 and 2021. The consequence is the virus moves more easily.”

SVH has continued to provide all services without disruption since the beginning of the pandemic, but it has been challenging to provide sufficient staffing for the past 2.5 years.

“This virus has increased the pressures on hospitals and community health care,” Hennelly said. “Staff have worked many extra hours to cover for teammates who have gotten sick or must care for someone who has gotten sick.”

He says that thousands of tests and laboratory sites have opened across the U.S., pulling staff from the preexisting health care network.

“We have spread an already limited supply of health care workers over an even larger network,” Hennelly said. “We encourage everyone to mitigate risk by masking more often and to be diligent in washing hands.”

The current variants are more easily transmitted than previous variants, so it is important to follow as many safety measures as possible, he says.

Hennelly encourages everyone to continue to wear a mask and socialize outdoors in smaller groups.

“If you are symptomatic, we encourage self-monitoring, and if symptoms worsen, consult with your physician or go to the nearest emergency care department,” he said.

COVID resources are available at sonomavalleyhospital.org.

Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at daniel.johnson@sonomanews.com.

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