Ng Teng Fong General Hospital nurse with COVID-19 did not attend to coronavirus patients in past 2 weeks
SINGAPORE — An Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) nurse infected with COVID-19 had not attended to any patients with the coronavirus over the past two weeks, said NTFGH on Thursday (12 March).
“While at work, our nurse had complied with (personal protective equipment) guidelines and infection control measures and did not, in the course of her clinical duties, attend to any confirmed COVID-19 patients in the last 14 days,” said the hospital’s chief executive officer Foo Hee Jug in reply to queries from Yahoo News Singapore.
The nurse, a 35-year-old Filipina identified by the Ministry of Health (MOH) as Case 167, had travelled with her husband to the Philippines from 11 to 17 February, with the man also taking an additional solo trip to the Philippines from 23 February to 2 March.
The man, a 37-year-old Filipino, had travelled to his home country the second time to visit a relative with pneumonia and has since also tested positive for COVID-19. The couple are now warded in separate isolation rooms at NTFGH.
According to Foo, the nurse – who works in the hospital’s Emergency Department – had been at work from 18 February and had complied with daily temperature taking and health monitoring.
“However, she developed a cough on 8 March and sought prompt medical attention at our staff clinic the next morning. She stayed at home until her swab result was confirmed on 10 March, and was transported back to our hospital,” he said.
Foo added that the hospital taken has since taken measures such as the disinfection of all the Emergency Department’s common staff areas as well, and is also conducting contact tracing. Emergency Department staff will be closely monitored over the next few days.
“We will continue with daily checks and audits on infection control practices and (personal protective equipment) compliance, and will remind all staff to adhere to measures to safeguard patients and fellow colleagues,” said Foo.
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