ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest private employer and one of the nation’ss 30 largest health systems, has confirmed that members of its staff have tested positive for coronavirus.
The system declined to provide details, including the number of people affected, but the use of the term “caregivers” suggests that more than one person is affected.
The disclosure comes as no surprise, given the size of ChristianaCare and the high-risk nature of working in health care.
ChrisitianaCare released the following statement:
“We currently have caregivers who have tested positive for COVID-19. We have a robust framework in place, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, to provide testing, monitoring, isolation and support for caregivers who are at risk or who have tested positive for COVID-19. ChristianaCare is not releasing information about specific cases to the media. All questions about the number and disposition of COVID-19 cases in Delaware should be addressed to the Delaware Division of Public Health.”
While not commenting specifically on Christiana Care, state spokesperson Stacey Hoffman said earlier that details will be offered if we “identified a cluster of patients at any particular facility.”
The statement continued, “ChristianaCare is providing extensive support for our caregivers throughout this pandemic, including support for their physical and behavioral health, peer support, childcare and temporary lodging and other resources that enable them to safely provide care and meet the critical health needs of our community. The safety and well-being of our caregivers is our top priority, and we are working round the clock to ensure that they have the supplies, training and support they need. We are continually adapting to new information as it becomes available, as we learn from the experiences of other health care systems across the nation, and as we receive new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and others.”
The term “caregivers” applies to all employed by ChristianaCare and not a specific job category.
So far, the Delaware Divison of Health or the Department of Health and Social Services has not issued any details on the number of health care workers affected at ChristianaCare.
The division continues to state that it will not talk about individual cases, but has reported outbreaks at long-term care facilities. Individual state agencies have also reported cases that include the number of people testing positive.
The positive tests had been widely expected as the virus moved into the community spread stage.
Christiana Care’s stance runs contrary to announcements from other larger employers that have disclosed the number of individuals testing positive, sites affected and other details.
The debate continues over the amount of disclosure by employers.
Those arguing for more disclosure say organizations risk being beset by rumors and losing credibility with the public. Others say privacy laws require minimum disclosure and too much information might also backfire.
