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DIGITAL CONCERT: The Northwestern Choir has always been careful to keep a good distance from each other during rehearsals. Here they sing during their “Kor (ona) concert”, which they chose to perform digitally to ensure infection control among members and audience. Photo: Private / Sangkoret Nordvesten
During a choir rehearsal last week, 22 of 34 people became infected. More than 200 people are now in quarantine awaiting test results.
On Sunday, news came in of the first case of infection in the municipality of Farsund since March. Infected was an active member of the choir.
On Monday it will be announced that 21 other people associated with the choir have also tested positive.
The choir has taken every care to follow the infection control rules. Pictures on his Facebook page show that the choir members sing at a good distance during rehearsal.
According to deputy health director Nakstad, the frequent spread of infections among choir members may be due to the singing itself.
On Tuesday, he told VGTV that voice use can affect the risk of infection:
– Using a strong voice, such as singing in a choir, carries a much higher risk of infection than when sitting still and speaking normally. This is especially true if there are also many gathered, says Nakstad.
However, this is not the first time that the infection has spread rapidly in a choir.
In early September this year, 12 of the 16 members of a choir were diagnosed with an infection after rehearsal. Although the Bergen choir was also careful to comply with current infection control rules, the message about choral singing was clear then:
– A meter does not last when you sing in a choir, said the municipality of Bergen.
CONCERNED: The fact that the infection among the choir members has spread from one to 22 people in a couple of hours surprises the mayor of the municipality of Farsund, Arnt Abrahamsen: – We are very surprised. Photography: Jarle R. Martinsen, Fædrelandsvennen
– It can get very ugly
The outbreak is serious for the municipality of just under 10,000 inhabitants. The members of the choir are mostly older than 60 years and several are at risk.
Crisis management in the municipality of Farsund has canceled all planned sporting and cultural events in the future.
On the same day the infection became known, infection tracers in the municipality worked hard to map the choir’s close contacts.
– The members of the choir have a wide network of contacts in our local environment. If we can’t control this quickly, it can have major consequences, says Farsund Municipality Mayor Arnt Abrahamsen.
On Tuesday morning, more than 200 people are under quarantine in Farsund Township due to the outbreak among the choir members.
– I look at this with the utmost seriousness, and if people don’t follow up now, this can be very dramatic. We have many environments that are vulnerable. A shutdown can have major consequences, Abrahamsen tells VG by phone.
Now they have encouraged all the volunteers in the municipalities to close until they have overcome the infection. The municipality has also tightened rules for visiting institutions and nursing homes, but is waiting to close schools and kindergartens until more test results are available.
– The horror scenario is that today we get many more positive test results. So this can get really ugly. Now it is important to know the rules and think about them. There is no longer anything that is dangerous, says the mayor.
SCENARIO OF TERROR: The mayor of the municipality of Faratad, Arnt Abrahamsen, fears that in the coming days even more infected people will appear in the municipality and that the society will have to close completely. Photo: Kjartan Bjelland, Fædrelandsvennen
Followed infection control rules – got sick
In hindsight, it is now known that the virus must have come from one of the choir members who brought the infection with him from a family visit to Rogaland.
The choir member is said to have been to a choir rehearsal the same night that she returns to Rogaland’s house. The next day he presents symptoms and shortly after tests positive for coronavirus.
– We have a great distance between the participants when we sing, and all physical contact between the members is strictly prohibited. There has been a focus on not getting too close when we come and go, and during breaks the main rule is that we should sit in our usual seats, wrote Sangkoret Nordvesten on his Facebook page Monday night.
How the virus could have infected 20 people from one person in just a few hours is a mystery to the mayor of the municipality, Arnt Abrahamsen.
– We are very surprised. The virus must have a huge contagious effect if there is one person who has infected so many.
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