Coronavirus crisis: St John of God Subiaco surgeon tests positive to COVID-19

A surgeon at St John of God Subiaco Hospital has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Perth from the United States. The Department of Health said the risk of patients and staff being infected was low because the doctor was not unwell when he operated at the hospital on Thursday. The doctor became unwell on Friday night, received testing on Saturday and was notified on Monday morning that he was positive. The West Australian yesterday revealed the consulting specialist was one of four WA healthcare workers diagnosed with coronavirus. Staff and patients who had potentially been exposed to the surgeon before the diagnosis have been contacted. A St John of God Health Care spokeswoman said the Health Department had advised that as the staff member did not have symptoms while at work, the risk of spread was “low”. She would not confirm the doctor’s speciality due to privacy reasons, but The West understands they are an eye surgeon. “St John of God Subiaco Hospital confirms that a consulting specialist has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Australia from the US,” the spokeswoman said. “We informed the Department of Health as well as the small number of staff and patients who had contact with the specialist last week. The specialist is now on home quarantine and has co-operated fully with the Health Department. “As the specialist was asymptomatic, the Department of Health deemed the contact low risk and advised that isolation was not required in the circumstances for caregivers or patients. “However, the staff are now in self-isolation to reduce any possible risk. The safety of patients and staff is of the highest priority and we have infection-control processes in place which were activated as per guidelines issued by the Department of Health.” Specialists are not directly employed by SJOG and run their own practices. The Department of Health was trying to contact all patients and other healthcare workers who had been in close contact with the surgeon. An 86-year-old man died in Sydney on Tuesday to become the nation’s sixth fatal victim. Australia’s case total increased to 564. On Tuesday, WA recorded four more cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 35. This includes four healthcare workers, including one who had not travelled overseas.