'We are not immune': Henry Ford Health says 734 employees positive for COVID-19

More than 700 employees of Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System have tested positive for COVID-19, the health system confirmed to Becker's.

Adnan Munkarah, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical officer, said Henry Ford has tested nearly 2,500 employees since tracking began March 12, and the majority have tested negative. However, as of April 6, 734 employees, or 2.1 percent of the health system's workforce, have tested positive. Positive cases include employees not working directly on the front lines or those who contracted the virus in the community. Many of the employees who tested positive over the course of the testing period have returned to work.

Still, the health system, which has more than 30,000 employees, said it did not test everyone and is following CDC guidelines for health systems regarding employee testing, which recommends testing employees who are symptomatic.

"We have prioritized testing of our employees who are showing symptoms, even if symptoms are mild, delivering rapid turnaround results," a spokesperson added.

Dr. Munkarah also pointed to the health system's strict adherence to the use of personal protective equipment during the pandemic, as well as a universal mask policy for employees and visitors.

"As a health system caring for a large majority of our region's COVID-19 patients, we know we are not immune to potential exposure and we remain grateful for the courage and dedication of our entire team," said Dr. Munkarah.

Michigan is one of the states hardest hit by the pandemic. As of 7:25 a.m. CDT April 7, there were 17,221 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.

This story was updated at 12:44 p.m. CDT April 7.

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