Sunshine Coast University Hospital workers who saved Covid patient’s life were vaccinated

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has revealed more detail on the dramatic saving of a Covid patient’s life by 10 hospital staff who may have been wearing “compromised” PPE, saying “seconds count... you just run”.

Ten Sunshine Coast University Hospital workers who saved the life of a woman with Covid-19’s Delta variant after she suffered a severe allergic reaction were vaccinated against the virus.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said nine out of 10 of the workers had received both their Covid-19 shots, while the 10th was awaiting a second dose.

Dr Young said all the workers were wearing personal protective equipment but they had gone into quarantine because of concerns their PPE may have been compromised in their rush to help the woman.

Ten Sunshine Coast University Hospital workers are in quarantine after saving the life of a Covid-19 patients.

The woman suffered a severe anaphylactic reaction after ingesting contrast dye for a medical imaging procedure.

A medical emergency team – or MET team – had to be called to save her life.

“Seconds count,” Dr Young said. “When someone has an anaphylactic reaction, and this was a very serious one, then you call a MET team. And they run.

“I’ve been on many in my career when I was a doctor in a hospital. You just run. You don’t stop and check who you’re dealing with. I can remember having to deal with cases that had HIV early on in the HIV pandemic.

“You just treat the patient and sort it out afterwards.”

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young talks about the life-saving efforts of Sunshine Coast University Hospital workers who saved the life of a patient with the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus. Photo: John Gass.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was “so proud” of the hospital staff “who went beyond everybody’s expectations”.

“They went in, they saved her life,” she said. “It happened so quickly. There was no hesitation.”

The woman acquired the Covid-19 virus overseas and was in hotel quarantine when she tested positive.

She was transferred to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital’s Covid-19 ward but was in the process of having tests outside the ward when she went into anaphylactic shock.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a news conference where she gave a “shout out” to 10 Sunshine Coast University Hospital workers who saved the life of a patient with Covid-19. Photo: John Gass

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the staff that saved her life had gone “above and beyond”.

“I want to thank all of the health workers that work in Covid wards and around our hospitals,” she said.

“Their jobs are not easy and every time there is a transmission in hospital, they feel like they’re being targeted in their jobs.

“The fact is that health workers around the world have been infected by this virus no matter how careful they are because it is highly contagious.

“I want to thank those workers who do work in our wards, who do work around Covid patients and do put the lives of those patients, and their care, above their own and their families.”

Dr Young said the Sunshine Coast University Hospital patient no longer required intensive care.