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COVID-19
Update: The Health Ministry announced on Saturday 1pm that a fifth Waitakere nurse was being considered a ‘probable’ case of Covid-19 after being in isolation. Another person connected to someone in the hospital is a new confirmed case, bringing the hospital-linked cases to 12.
The seriously ill Waitakere Hospital nurse at Covid-19 North Shore Hospital is the fourth infected in controversial circumstances when dealing with patients in the St Margaret Nursing Home Group.
The newsroom understands that the nurse is only 26 years old, but she is very ill, with little oxygen in her blood, which means that she is hypoxic and has oxygen. She is not in the ICU at this stage.
He appears to have been doubly at risk: personally treating positive cases in the nursing home, and then being in close contact with one of the first three who were diagnosed last week.
She became the fourth Waitakere Hospital nurse to test positive in less than two weeks.
The nurse is part of an overrepresented group in high-risk occupations and is more likely to be exposed and infected by the virus.
Last week, three nurses at Waitemata DHB hospital were diagnosed with the virus, with two close contacts, after six Covid-positive residents of CHT St Margaret’s Hospital and Rest Home in Te Atatu were transferred to Waitakere Hospital in mid-April. . The positive tests of the four nurses were between April 27 and May 7.
Initially, 57 employees were retired and 37 are still at home to isolate themselves.
Covid-positive nurses had been working in the Muriwai Wing A ward, which housed six infected patients from St Margaret’s nursing home, three of whom have since died.
The press room revealed yesterday that hospital staff had been working between the Covid-positive room and other rooms throughout the hospital, against requests from the New Zealand Nurses Organization to keep the “bubbles” from the room.
In response to staff fears, Waitakere Hospital instituted “bubbles” in the room on Monday.
The hospital is under scrutiny of more than 10 Covid-19 cases and its policy of including nurses to work in the Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 areas.
A draft report on a major incident review was due to be completed today to discuss its infection practices, but Newsroom was told it won’t be released until next week.
In today’s government briefing, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Caroline McElnay, said of the latest and serious case: “The nurse had been caring for St Margaret’s patients in the nursing home at Waitakere Hospital and was among those close contacts of another positive case announced last week. “
* Made with the support of NZ On Air *
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