2 Patients Catch Coronavirus At EvergreenHealth In Kirkland

KIRKLAND, WA — Two patients receiving inpatient care at EvergreenHealth's Kirkland campus have contracted the coronavirus, the hospital announced Thursday. In a news release, EvergreenHealth said both patients were infected at the hospital, but the source of their exposure remains uncertain.

"Due to the nature of how this virus is transmitted, the actual transmission source is unclear," said Dr. Ettore Palazzo with Evergreen Health. "The virus may have been transmitted through a health care worker, family member or visitor. We cannot be definitively certain. What we are sure of, is that this serves as a very unfortunate reminder that everyone needs to remain astutely vigilant to ensure we're collectively working to help stop the spread of COVID-19."

The hospital said its leadership met with representatives from the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday. Now, Evergreen Health is working to contact 100 employees who may have been exposed to the two patients. Each potential exposure will be tested for the coronavirus, the hospital said.

"We remind everyone to please exercise extreme caution in monitoring your own health and symptoms," said Dr. Francis Riedo, the hospital's director of infection control and prevention. "Stay home if you have any symptoms or aren't feeling well. Monitor your symptoms and seek medical care when in doubt — and quickly, if your symptoms become severe."

State and local health agencies closely monitor hospitals for signs of an outbreak and assist in the response. An outbreak discovered at Bremerton's St. Michael Medical Center in late August has now been linked to 73 illnesses among patients and staff and three deaths.

Overall, COVID-19 activity has trended downward in King County and much of the state since a resurgence over the summer. While transmission rates remain above target thresholds in most counties, about half are now in the listed moderate range or better, including King County.

In Kirkland, the nation's first coronavirus hot spot, approximately one percent of those tested in the past 14 days returned positive results, according to the county's coronavirus dashboard.