MICHAEL E. DEBAKEY VA MEDICAL CENTER

Employee with COVID-19 infection dies

An employee was working at a general medical or surgical hospital. It was a medical center for veterans. He worked in a laboratory. He had been hospitalized for COVID-19. At 7:15 p.m. on October 7, 2021, he died from complications of COVID-19.

One Employee with COVID-19 infection dies, one is hospitaliz

Employee #1 and #2 were working as nurses in the neurology rehabilitation care area of the medical center. The area was not a designated a COVID-19 patient treatment area but was a designated overflow for evaluation of general medical patients, many admitted via the emergency room and requiring further evaluation and testing to determine medical treatment. These patients were not being testing for COVID-19 at the time unless exhibiting symptoms of the disease. Employee #1 exhibited high fever and vomiting at approximately 3:00 a.m. on June 25, 2020. Employee #1 was tested in the emergency room and was positive for COVID-19. Employee #1 was hospitalized with COVID-19 illness and died June 30,2020. Employee #2 assisted employee #1 on shift on June 25, 2020, when he was vomiting and had high fever. Employee #2 contracted COVID-19 illness and was hospitalized July 5, 2020, but survived the illness.

Employee with COVID-19 infection dies

On March 10, 2020, and March 11, 2020, an employee called in sick with gastrointestinal symptoms. On March 18, 2020, the employee called in sick again and was unable to speak. The employee had reportedly been in close contact with Coworker #1 (Telecare Nurse) who also became hospitalized with COVID-19. The employee told Coworker #2 (Nurse Manager) that she and Coworker #1 spent time walking together during breaks at work. The employee remained on sick leave from March 19, 2020 to March 22, 2020. On March 23, 2020, the employee was hospitalized and was tested for COVID-19. The employee was placed on a ventilator on March 24, 2020. On March 25, 2020, the COVID-19 test results were confirmed positive and the employee was transferred to a different hospital, where she was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and died on April 5, 2020, from COVID-19 related illness.