COVID-19 outbreak reported at Vancouver medical center

An outbreak of COVID-19 traced to a patient floor at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center has sickened at least 10 patients and four employees in the last few days, according to hospital and public health officials.

The hospital has isolated the floor and started testing the remaining patients for COVID-19, officials said Sunday. All of the patients were in the hospital for other medical reasons when they contracted COVID-19, according to Clark County Public Health.

Of the 14 total COVID-positive cases, only five are fully vaccinated. Only the unvaccinated patients are showing symptoms of the disease, the Columbian reported.

None of the 14 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators or moved to intensive care as a result of the virus. None has died, officials said.

PeaceHealth and Clark County Public Health have submitted test samples to the state Department of Health to see if the outbreak is related to the delta variant of the disease, which is particularly likely to be transmitted from person to person.

"I have full confidence in our highly qualified health care professionals to manage through this recent incident," said Dr. Lawrence Neville, PeaceHealth Southwest’s chief medical officer.

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