A coronavirus outbreak was reported at an overnight summer camp in Georgia that did not require campers to wear face masks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study on Friday about the outbreak, saying it shows that children are susceptible to the virus and “play an important role in transmission.”
The camp, which the CDC did not name, had an orientation for 120 staff members and more than 130 apprentices in mid-June, according to its Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report. Staff members stayed at the camp and on June 21 they were joined by more than 360 campers between the ages of 6 and 19.
Days later, on June 23, a teenage staff member left after developing chills and then tested positive for the coronavirus. The camp began sending people home the next day and alerted the state Department of Public Health.
Among the children and staff tested for the virus, 260 tested positive, of whom 231 were 17 years of age or younger.
“Environments, such as multi-day and overnight summer camps, pose a unique challenge when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious disease, considering the amount of time campers and staff members spend close by,” he said. the CDC in a press release.
The health department recommended that everyone who attended the camp be screened for the virus and quarantined. Those who tested positive were asked to isolate. The camp closed on June 27.
According to the CDC, the camp had everyone submit documentation that they had tested negative for the virus, but did not require campers to wear face masks. Only staff members had to wear masks.
The report also noted that campers slept in cabins and participated “in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, including daily singing and cheering.”
“Asymptomatic infection was common and potentially contributed to undetected transmission, as previously reported,” the CDC report said. “This research adds to the body of evidence showing that children of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and, unlike early reports, they could play an important role in transmission.”
The CDC said in its press release that proper use of face masks, along with rigorous cleaning and social distancing, can help prevent the spread of the virus. These recommendations are included in the CDC’s recently released guide to reopening schools, which has been the subject of debate as the White House calls for schools to be reopened entirely.
