/https://www.therecord.com/content/dam/localcommunities/cambridge_times/news/2022/02/06/cambridge-memorial-hospital-reports-second-unit-outbreak-within-a-week/8075686_Cambridge_Memorial_Hospital.JPG)
Less than a handful of days after a COVID-19 outbreak ended in Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s (CMH) rehabilitation unit, another has cropped up.
Five patients have tested positive for the virus and are linked to the outbreak in the rehab unit, wing B, level 3, according to a Feb. 6 release from CMH.
A hospital outbreak is declared when two or more patients and/or staff test positive for a respiratory illness that was acquired in hospital within a time frame that is consistent with the epidemiology of the disease, and when there is a link between the cases.
Staff working in the outbreak unit are required to do PCR testing every three days and to have a negative rapid antigen test daily before work, the hospital stated. Staff that have been COVID positive at any time in the last three months are not required to do testing unless new respiratory symptoms develop.
Precautions added for safety are: enhanced surveillance by increased swabbing and testing non-infected patients and staff; enhanced cleaning, especially to high touch areas; and visits to inpatients have been paused for the entire hospital as of Jan. 8.
The outbreak in the rehab unit may be declared over on Feb. 15 if no new cases arise.
CMH is still dealing with two other active outbreaks.
The medicine B unit outbreak was declared on Jan. 19 and at this time, 18 patients have been infected. The earliest possible end date has been set to Feb. 15, if no new cases are found.
The inpatient mental health outbreak was declared on Jan. 30 with three patients infected. The earliest possible end date to this outbreak is Feb. 8, if no new cases arise.
CMH declared its inpatient surgery outbreak over on Feb. 3 and the prior rehabilitation unit outbreak over on Feb. 2, after both have not seen any new cases for 10 days.
