New infections were detected in two wards of the hospital on May 12, prompting the hospital to begin extensive screening of patients and staff.
“The virus had spread from the first patient through asymptomatic staff,” Leskinen said.
A total of 57 patients and 42 staff members have been infected in the cluster, and 17 patients have died after infection. Of the infected patients, 41 had received the first and two doses of both coronavirus vaccines. Although the infection is estimated to be directly related to three-quarters of deaths, it was not considered the primary cause of death during the remaining quarter due to a serious underlying disease.
One of the dead patients had been vaccinated twice and 11 times, while five of them had not yet received the first dose of vaccine. The age of the deceased ranged from 60 to 100, with an average of 80.
Of the 42 infected staff members, 17 had received both doses of vaccine and two the first dose. Other staff members were not vaccinated because they were either not part of the permanent staff or were not involved in the care of the patients.
For example, seven out of ten students practicing during an outbreak contracted Covid-19. Students cannot be considered part of critical social and health care personnel according to the decisions [the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare] THL, ”Leskinen said.
Staff symptoms ranged from mild obstruction to cough, fever, and fatigue.
The two departments where the variant spread had a total of 46 permanent employees, 43 of whom had been completely vaccinated against the virus – most with the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. Staff were quarantined and their CT values - an indication of their ability to transmit the virus to others – were measured.
“We clearly saw that those who had been vaccinated twice and who were not at risk did not show severe disease outbreaks. The vaccinations saved us a lot,” Leskinen saw.
He added that while the hospital will continue to check the adequacy of daily beds and nurses, the situation will develop in a positive direction and the outbreak will slow down. “The situation for aftercare facilities has been critical in recent weeks,” he said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page