KEY POINTS

  • A Georgia overnight camp closed after a coronavirus outbreak among campers
  • The campers were reportedly not required to wear face coverings
  • Health investigators also noted that the buildings had poor ventilation 

An overnight camp in Georgia shut down due to a coronavirus outbreak in spite of taking precautions to ensure campers and staff remain COVID-free. However, it was reported, the campers were not required to wear masks at the camp.

Almost 600 individuals were at a YMCA Camp located at Lake Burton, Rabun County, according to U.S. News & World Report. The campers were between six and 19 and the staffers at the camp were mostly teens.

It was reported the cabins accommodated between 16 to 26 individuals, which was regarded to be "relatively large," but it was not clear if the number was too many. Investigators of the outbreak found the circulation in the buildings was not maximized since windows were not opened adequately.

One of the staff members experienced chills on the evening of June 22. The following day, the concerned teen left the unnamed camp. Two days later, when the staff member tested positive for coronavirus, campers were sent home and health officials were notified immediately. By June 27, the camp closed.

The test results of 344 individuals from the camp were made available and it was found 260 of them were positive. The report revealed the number of younger kids infected was higher compared to older ones. Children who stayed longer at the camp also had a higher incidence of infection.

kids camp
Representational image of a kids' camp. The MVNAACP will investigate an incident last week at a Vineyard camp where two white boys caused an abrasion on a black boy's neck by wrapping a tent strap around the victim's neck. SpiritComms/Pixabay

Health officials revealed they only got information about symptoms from 136 kids. Out of this number, 100 reported they had headache, fever and sore throat, three of the most common symptoms of COVID-19.

The outbreak at this Georgia camp further gives credence to the new study on coronavirus, which stated kids can infect others with COVID-19 as much as adults can. It found the amount of virus in kids' nasal passages does not differ from that of an adult. It also stated children below five years old were found to have the highest viral load.

The study analyzed nasal samples from 145 COVID-19 patients and found the average viral loads of young children were up to 100 times higher as compared to adults.

RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus