Delta COVID outbreak at Atrium hospital impacts nearly 60 staffers or patients

A coronavirus cluster at Atrium Health Pineville has infected dozens of healthcare workers, as well as some patients, the Observer confirmed Thursday afternoon.

So far, 50 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told the Observer. The vast majority — 70% — were already vaccinated, N.C. DHHS spokeswoman Bailey Pennington said.

Nine patients also tested positive for the virus, Pennington said.

The outbreak is a result of the highly contagious delta variant. Just over 30 positive tests that were genetically sequenced were identified as the delta strain, Pennington said.

More testing, genetic sequencing and contact tracing is underway.

The final total could change, and state health officials are working to determine how many infections are linked to the hospital outbreak or general community spread of the virus, Pennington said.

In a message to employees, Alicia Campbell, facility executive of Atrium Health Pineville, blamed the delta variant for this outbreak.

“We are currently engaged in contact tracing and testing of any impacted teammates and patients in order to identify those needing care and to control the potential for further spread,” said the message, which was shared with the Observer by Atrium.

“We have reached out directly to teammates and patients who were in the affected area to let them know that they could have come into contact with a COVID-positive person. We believe their risk of contracting COVID is low, given the proper use of personal protective equipment.”

Hospital workers can get sick “like anyone else,” Atrium’s direction of infection prevention Dr. Katie Passaretti said in a video shared with the Observer, in response to questions about the new cases.

“No vaccine is 100% perfect,” Passaretti stated. “We are going to continue to see vaccinated individuals with mild cases of COVID. That does not mean the vaccine doesn’t work.”

Atrium spokesman Dan Fogleman said the outbreak emphasizes the need for people to get their COVID shots, “given the aggressive manner in which the Delta variant spreads.

Vaccination “is the best defense against serious illness caused by the COVID-19 virus,” he said.

Vaccine mandate

Both Atrium Health, Charlotte’s largest hospital system, and rival Novant Health, are requiring all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Atrium Health is requiring all workers — including remote workers, physicians, medical residents, faculty, fellows, trainees, contractors, medical staff, students, temporary workers and volunteer staff — to get vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious exemption by Oct. 31.

Still, some health care workers and supporters have protested the vaccine requirements, even as COVID-19 cases have surged locally and across the state.

The spike in cases is largely due to the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, according to health care experts.

And both Novant Health and Atrium Health have seen a rise in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

The number of patients hospitalized in Mecklenburg County as of Aug. 4 is more than four times higher than at the beginning of July, according to county data released last Friday.

Half of Mecklenburg residents are still not vaccinated.

This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 6:06 PM.