A gathering of several families swimming and playing volleyball on a private Lake County beach in late July led to 16 positive cases of COVID-19.
It is a startling reminder of what health officials have been warning for months: the virus can be transmitted both outside and inside, and children, just like adults, are at risk of infection.
The people involved in the Lake County case admit to health officials that they did not always wear masks or social distances during their outing. Eleven of the infected were under the age of 18.
“Even outside, if you’re near people who do not live in your household, you take a risk,” said Hannw Goering, spokesman for the Lake County Health Department. “It is very important to wear a mask and maintain social distance every time you gather with others.”
As summer winds subside, public health officials are racing to limit the spread of COVID-19. The effort includes issuing warnings and taking actions to reduce the risks of crowded outdoor collections. It is a message that does not resonate with everyone, because many enjoy the warm weather not wearing masks or keeping distance from others.
Crowd mates are a problem too. Swimming along the city limits is prohibited all summer long. Now suburban beaches in Evanston and Lake County are restricting visitors, after seeing a rise of Chicagoans heading north.
Beaches are not the only worries.
In a media review, Chicago Public Health chief Dr. Allison Arwady, recently told the story of a neighbor who chatted outside her house for about 20 minutes without wearing any of her masks. All three later tested positive for the virus, she said.
Cook County is launching a social media campaign that will quickly remind young people of the importance of masks. Outdoors in the open air is a safer environment than an indoor setting with poor air circulation, but the virus also spreads through close contact, even outside, said Drs. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer at Cook County Department of Public Health.
“Being outside is much better than being inside because you have constant air movement, but that does not mean you are safe,” Rubin said.
Health experts advise in the last weeks of summer to consider:
• If you are masked and others are not, then you are at risk.
• If you wear a thin mask and are close to a sick person, you are also at risk.
• If you are unmasked and close to others who are unmasked, you are at greatest risk if you are inside or outside.
The bottom line: wear masks, stay at least 6 feet away and wash your hands often.
“We are seeing an increase in cases because we are not doing well enough in our masking, social distance and hygiene,” said Dr. Micheal Lin, an epidemiologist and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center.
Lin and other experts say that short meetings, like someone who is quickly run out by another person, do not pose many risks. But if someone is exposed to another person for 15 minutes and within six feet, there is a better chance of getting infected. Some can spread the virus in a shorter time.
No mask is 100% effective, and a Duke University study warns that thin material neck gaiters and bandanas may not work to prevent infection.
A cloth like a cheap surgical mask will “work well enough,” said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Northwestern.
“The mask is just a part of it,” Murphy said. “Social distance is just a part of it. You improve your chances of not getting infected three to five times. “
Health experts also advise parents to take precautionary measures regarding youth activities.
As a leading expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Emily Landon has been urging people over the past few months to mask people and keep their distance.
So when her 11-year-old son recently played in his first Western Springs Little League game of 2020, she was resentful when players, her families and coaches refused to wear masks as they took off during the game. Masks are encouraged, but not required, states the league’s website.
After talks with organizers of the league, Landon, a researcher and associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, said she was told parents were not ready to go along with such a mandate. It was the last match for her son.
“Masks are really important for everyone, including children,” Landon said. “If it’s optional to have batting helmets, would the players wear them?”
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.
