Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1552149.015 - William W. Backus Hospital

Inspection Information - Office: Hartford Area Office

Investigation Summary

An employee was working as a patient care technician at a general medical or surgical hospital. The facility was an acute care community hospital. She had worked there since April 2018. She had not been vaccinated. She was assigned to the medical-surgical unit. She was responsible for direct patient care in a non-COVID-19 unit. Any patient on the unit who developed symptoms of COVID-19 was transferred off the unit. PPE requirements for the unit included a surgical/procedure facemask and gloves. An N-95 respirator and eye protection were required for anyone entering a room during or within 30 minutes following an aerosol-generating procedure. A patient admitted to the unit on August 21, 2021, was believed the source of the employee's illness. Upon admission, the patient had a negative COVID-19 test and an "alternative diagnosis." The patient's condition continued to deteriorate. On August 24, a full PCR viral panel was ordered for the patient. The results were received later that day. The patient was COVID-19-positive, and he or she was transferred to a COVID-19 unit on the same day. According to contact tracing done by the hospital, the employee had provided care for the patient on August 21 and 22. She had been within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of the patient for more than 15 minutes. The employee wore her surgical/procedure face mask when caring for the patient. The patient did not wear a mask, possibly due to confusion. When the employee completed the hospital's employee COVID-19 exposure history questionnaire on August 25, she was not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. She first exhibited symptoms on August 26, 2021. On August 27, she reported a fever of over 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C), chills, lower back pain, headache, dry cough, fatigue, sore throat, and nausea. She tested positive for COVID-19 that day, and she was hospitalized on September 7, 2021. Three other employees were exposed to the patient. All had been vaccinated, and all remained asymptomatic.

Keywords: Infectious Disease