Nurse tests positive to coronavirus at Princess Alexandra Hospital
A nurse at the Princess Alexandra Hospital who has tested positive for COVID-19 and six other staffers waiting for test results have been described as a heroes after their work with infectious patients put them in the firing line of the disease.
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A NURSE has tested positive for COVID-19 after caring for patients with the virus in one of Brisbane’s largest hospitals.
The Princess Alexandra Hospital nurse working in the infectious diseases unit tested positive on Monday afternoon and is now self-isolating at home.
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Six other employees in the unit have been removed from their duties as they await results after coming into close contact with the infected nurse.
In a statement, a Queensland Health spokesman said the nurse had reported feeling unwell after working with COVID-19 patients.
“Among the Queensland cases is an infectious diseases nurse from the Princess Alexandra Hospital, who is currently resting in isolation after contracting novel coronavirus (COVID-19),” he said.
“The nurse has followed all procedures including staying home as soon as symptoms emerged, immediately notifying superiors to help protect colleagues and close contacts.”
The spokesman said the nurse had been working with the correct personal protective equipment.
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Beth Mohle said she had been dreading the moment a nurse in the state developed the virus while caring for a patient.
She said the nurses’ infection demonstrated “how courageous and how tough nurses and midwives are”.
“This just highlights for me that our members and other health workers are frontline heroes in all of this,” Ms Mohle said.
“They are putting themselves at risk to keep others safe. They are courageous and they are tough. They think of others before they think of themselves.”
Ms Mohle said her understanding was that the nurse involved had been wearing personal protective equipment while caring for COVID-19 patients.
“It is just the case that this is what can happen. It’s a highly virulent virus,” she said.
Ms Mohle said that despite large numbers of health care workers caring for COVID-19 patients overseas contracting the virus, she was hopeful infection rates would be lower in Australia.
“In some countries overseas they haven’t had adequate personal protective equipment,” she said.
“We are absolutely obsessive about personal protective equipment, every day.”
But Queensland health workers have expressed ongoing concerns about dwindling stockpiles of personal protective equipment, such as masks, gowns, gloves and goggles.
This comes as accommodation has been made available for health workers if they require isolation to keep their families safe.
The state’s total rose to 934 on Tuesday morning as the Premier announced 13 more cases.
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