A gym trainer exposed 50 athletes to the Covid-19, but no one else fell ill after redesigning the ventilation.

Velvet Minic, 44, is the owner and head coach at 460 Fitness in Blacksburg, Virginia. Like many gym owners across the country, he was forced to close the facility in March due to coronavirus. They rented equipment and held zoom classes, but it didn’t take long for the members to be burned.

When the gym closed in March, there was a lot of talk in the CrossFit community about the mental health benefits of working out, and some owners were lobbying to keep their gym open. When it didn’t work, it included them in the early stages of reopening. And he began planning to reopen this gym and start safety operations.

Minnick advised athletes to keep ventilation as well as strict hygiene and distance protocols as safe as possible while they were working out.

“I knew the virus was transmitted primarily through the air so I thought it was really important to have good ventilation so that not everyone was able to breathe it.”

Minic built athletic stations near the bay gates that gave everyone 10 feet of space. The stations are marked with orange tape on the floor and have the necessary appliances inside. There is nothing to be said about the gym when sharing equipment or doing partner workouts.

“Ten feet of space has always been my mantra,” Murray said, adding that the recommended six feet is more because people will work out in the gym and breathe heavily.

Since the Minic built the facility, it had engineering and HVAC documents to share with Mar.

“How much did I calculate how big the space is, what was the normal wind speed in the area and what would be the resulting ventilation if the doors were open?” Murray said.

She found that the space provided more fresh air than the professional organization, heating, refrigerating and air conditioning engineers, who recommend ventilation. Looking ahead to other research and studies, Murray talked to experts on what a ventilation rate is needed to cut the risk of indoor transmission.

“We don’t see fury above a certain threshold,” Mere said. “And the gym with the door open was above it.”

Murray said they will now be able to close a few more doors than initially thought and still meet the ventilation standard by using a carbon dioxide monitor to track the level of the house.

“Carbon dioxide is exhaled and is a good indicator of how many viruses it can raise in the air,” Mere said.

Depending on the weather in the gym and the comfort level of the athletes, they can open the doors more or less. And athletes always have the option to take their equipment out.

In September, when Minick learned that one of his coaches was not feeling well, he was not initially worried. When he thought it was just an allergy, he immediately lost his sense of smell and taste, Minick said, so he got tested for coronavirus. She asked him to quarantine her until she got the result.

When he returned positive, they first decided he contracted the virus outside the gym in another indoor environment. After that, he ran a test in the system to see who coached him before he got sick.

Minic personally contacted all 50 athletes and examined them for a period of two weeks. A few decided to test, but one member did not develop symptoms.

“I contacted all my members on Monday,” Minick said. “And then … the health department’s contact tracer. They didn’t even inform me of the direct contact until Wednesday. With something like this, it’s very important to know.”

Despite the possible exposure and the drop in temperature as winter approaches, Jim remains diligent in his procedures and the athletes remain consistent.

There are no sweat post workout hugs and no high fives. There is often a conversation in class about whether the door stays open or closed. If they want to be off to stay warm, every member must wear a mask.

“Members are willing to go that extra mile, stay cool, get wet, endure, so they can stay safe,” Minick said. “They will do whatever it takes for the benefits of exercise.”