Citing high vaccination rate and strict protocols, Interior Health surprised by RIH COVID-19 outbreak

KAMLOOPS — Interior Health (IH) is investigating the cause of a COVID-19 outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH).

As of Wednesday (Nov. 3), 17 Patients and two staff in the 5 South medical ward have tested positive for the virus.

The outbreak has caught IH by surprise, considering the health authority’s strict protocols.

“We’re all wondering, including myself. We’ve had outbreaks at RIH before. Our staff are fully vaccinated, most of our patients are vaccinated – how could this happen. That’s a great question and we want to know the answer as well,” IH Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton says.

As of Oct. 26, unvaccinated healthcare workers and acute care visitors must be fully vaccinated to enter RIH. IH is looking into what caused the outbreak.

“Since July, all that has circulated in B.C. is Delta, just because it’s so transmissible. It has out-competed other variants. So that’s all we have seen,” Dr. Fenton says.

Seniors care homes also parted ways with their unvaccinated staff but continue to see COVID-19 outbreaks. Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre has had one resident and one staff that tested positive for COVID-19.

The BC Care Providers Association says care homes would benefit from more rapid testing.

“It could come from a resident who had been transferred from hospital,” BC Care Providers Association Vice President Mike Klassen says. “Absolutely, that policy of actually making sure somebody is tested negative before they’re transferred from hospital is something BC Care providers has been asking for some time.”

Fenton says samples from the hospital’s outbreak have been sent for testing which will help IH find the root of its cause.

“It does take two to three weeks, so we will have to wait for that. But then we will see if it’s the same Delta, if it’s something environmental on our side, or if we’re seeing something different,” she says.

She adds that there’s the potential for a virus to mutate into variants. The best way to stop that from happening is to get vaccination rates up.

“Based on B.C. specific statistics because these analyses have now been done. The vaccine is roughly 80 to 90 per cent effective in preventing infection entirely. That’s amazing. That’s one of the most effective vaccines that we have,” Dr. Fenton says.