A new report issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 spread through a Georgia overnight summer camp where attendees “vigorously” sang and cheered in June.
The camp adhered to “most recommended strategies to prevent transmission,” including requiring campers to show proof of negative COVID-19 tests conducted at least 12 days prior to their arrival. But the camp did not make campers wear cloth masks.
“These findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) spread efficiently in a youth-centric overnight setting, resulting in high attack rates among persons in all age groups, despite efforts by camp officials to implement most recommended strategies to prevent transmission,” the report found.
Working with the Georgia Public Health Department, federal scientists obtained COVID-19 test results for 344 of the campers and staff members. Of those people, 76 percent tested positive for the virus. The camp required staff members to wear cloth masks. In all, 597 people attended the camp.
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This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2020.