A patient at Sunshine Coast Hospital was being moved from the COVID-19 ward to a medical unit when they suffered anaphylactic shock in response to a dye used during a diagnostic scan.
Ten staff rushed to the aid of the patient, who required immediate care, ignoring the potential threat to their own safety.
All have been deemed casual or primary contacts and are now in quarantine, according to a report by the ABC.
It is not known how many put on personal protective equipment or were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of the incident.
Andrew McDonald, Acting Chief Executive of Sunshine Coast Hospital, thanked the staff for their selfless and courageous actions.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, said the staff acted appropriately.
“These staff put themselves in harm’s way to help a patient in need. They put the patient’s welfare before their own.”
“Staff were required to act quickly and may not have been able to maintain full infection control while attending to the emergency,” Young said.
Apart from the 10 staff, no other people were put at risk, McDonald confirmed.
The areas of the hospital where the incident took place have been cleaned, and there was no further risk to other patients or staff or to the local community.
