Kadlec participates in study of COVID in health care workers

Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland will participate in a study with other Providence-owned facilities of what percentage of its health care workers have been exposed to the coronavirus.

“We know that our employees are at a higher risk than the general population because of their line of work, particularly employees working in areas of the hospital where we have patients with COVID-19, said Dr. Brian York, a Kadlec infectious disease specialist, on the Kadlec on Call podcast.

“But having said that, we also have very robust infection prevention strategies and personal protective equipment and protocols that are designed to protect those employees,” he said.

A very small percentage of employees have had symptoms and tested positive for the virus over the course of the pandemic, but the study will determine how many more employees may have been exposed but not developed symptoms.

It also will provide data on differences in infection for varying jobs or areas of the hospital and possibly whether exposures may have been at work or elsewhere in the community.

Participation by employees will be voluntary.

State COVID cases

The Washington State Department of Health on Saturday reported 604 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and on Sunday 439 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

It does not report deaths on weekends.

The Benton Franklin Health District had no information on weekend deaths or cases by the Herald deadline on Monday.

As of Friday there were 4,511 cases in Benton County and 4,242 cases in Franklin County.

Since the pandemic started, 168 people in Benton and Franklin counties have died, including 115 from Benton County and 53 from Franklin County.

Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 86,269, up from 85,830 cases and 2,100 deaths on Saturday.

King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 22,103 cases and 768 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,395 cases and 258 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,913 and 200 deaths.

Benton and Franklin counties rank sixth and seventh for cases, following Snomomish and Spokane counties.

All counties in Washington have cases, but Columbia has just 14, Garfield has 11 and Wahkiakum has just six.

Lauren Kirschman of The (Tacoma) News Tribune contributed to this report.