Hospital employees contract mumps; hospital taking extra precautions
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NEW BRITAIN (WFSB) — Three employees at the hospital of central Connecticut recently contracted the mumps, now hospital leaders are taking extra precautions.
The employees who contracted the mumps are going to be ok but now other staff members at the hospital re taking extra precautions to avoid getting sick
“The Hospital of Central Connecticut when they learned that the tests were positive took immediate action,” Dr. Jack Ross said Friday. “Out of an abundance of caution to protect our staff and protect our patients who’ve been here.”
Dr. Ross, Hartford Healthcare’s Infectious Diseases Chief says there is no reason to panic. All hospital staff members have had at least 2 mumps vaccines but now employees being offered another safeguard.
“What we have started today is offering a third dose of vaccine to folks who work in the emergency room,” Ross said.
Doctor Ross says employees likely contracted the mumps from the same patient. There’s no evidence they spread the virus to others, but the hospital is reaching out to patients treated between December 14th and 22nd just in case.
“It is not uncommon nowadays to see mumps,” Dr. Ross said.
In fact, Doctor Ross says there have already been more than 3 thousand cases of the mumps this year across the country. The symptoms are similar to the flu with one key difference swollen glands behind the jaw line.
“You push on that it’s going to hurt it’s going to be tender it’s going to be painful,” Dr. Ross said.
The best way to prevent getting sick or potentially spreading the virus is to remember what you learned as a small child.
The three employees have not been identified. One thing we can tell you though is they have no connection to the three UConn students who also contracted the mumps.
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