Reflecting Delta Hospital’s COVID-19 outbreak, the chief medical health officer for Fraser Health addressed the outbreak’s challenges and the heroism of healthcare workers who brought the outbreak to an end.
Declared over on Oct. 26, the outbreak lasted for 30 days and infected 26 staff and 19 patients, of which the virus killed seven. When the outbreak was declared on Sept. 16, Fraser Health immediately implemented precautions, including enhanced cleaning, contact tracing and weekly hospital-wide COVID-19 tests.
"This was a particularly difficult outbreak. Not just for the hospital but really for the entire community,” Dr Elizabeth Brodkin said in an interview with the Optimist. “The way that hospital staff and the rest of Fraser Health and the Delta community itself came together to support the hospital during that outbreak really was impressive and it was one of the most positive things about the entire experience."
Aspects that made Delta Hospital’s outbreak especially challenging were the amount of time the outbreak lasted and the number of people it impacted
Brodkin said COVID-19 can be brought into a hospital by a patient, a staff member or by a visitor. In the case of Delta Hospital’s outbreak, the case that ignited the outbreak originated from a patient. Brodkin said the initial patient did not survive the disease.
From the first COVID-19 positive patient, the virus spread quickly through the first floor until it was contained to the second floor and thanks to healthcare worker’s efforts it did not spread further.
Brodkin said the patients being cared for in the second floor unit were of the same age range of patients in care homes. This brought its own set of challenges including multiple health issues and behavioural issues.
“The death rate, although it was tragic, was not perhaps surprising given the similarity of these patients to the patients that are in long term care," Brodkin said.
Another difficulty associated with the outbreak was the number of community transmissions that contributed to infection rate.
“People who are younger and healthier don't necessarily become sick with it or their symptoms are very mild and they simply don't realize they have even become infected," Brodkin said.
While Brodkin said she didn’t think the hospital's processes were changed following the end of the outbreak she said it served as a reminder as to how challenging and insidious the virus is.
Even with COVID-19 cases in the province climbing to all-time highs, Brodkin says there are no plans to close Delta Hospital to new admissions as was done out of caution during the outbreak.
Brodkin took a moment to thank the healthcare workers that braved the virus on a daily basis.
"It was because of them that we were able to continue providing services there and to provide the best possible care to the patients but I'm sure it was very challenging,” she said. “It's probably a scary thing to come to work when you know there's COVID present at your workplace and they need to be absolutely commended for continuing to provide professional and exemplary service."
Brodkin went on to say that although the Delta Hospital outbreak is over, COVID-19 transmission continues in the community.
“It is accelerating, other hospitals have been impacted and we are proud and grateful for our staff who continue to work in those settings even when they know COVID is present," she said.
