More than 200 children have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an overnight camp in Georgia, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday.
"On June 23, a teenage staff member left camp A after developing chills the previous evening. The staff member was tested and reported a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2 the following day (June 24)," the CDC wrote in a release. Following this, officials sent campers home the very next day but the camp wasn't shut down till three days later on June 27.
In all, the camp had 597 attendees and 31 cabins which hosted up to 26 people per cabin. It was reported that 260 people including children tested positive for the infection after the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) on June 25, recommended that all attendees be tested.
The camp that ran from June 21 to 27 had followed measures released in 'Georgia's Executive Order' signed by Governor Brian Kemp to conduct an overnight camp -- that only those with a "negative COVID-19 test within twelve days – up from seven days – prior to starting the camp," would be able to attend.
Attendees included children (6-10 years), teenagers (13-17 years), and adults (18-21) of whom the most affected by the virus were children, according to the CDC report.
Of the people who tested positive for the virus, "51% were among those aged 6-10 years," the CDC said.
In India, as Unlock 3 is happening in full swing in different parts of the country, the increased rates of transmission among children in a group setting seem to throw light on whether it is safe to open schools just yet.
Although all measures suggested by the CDC for youth and summer camps to minimize the risk for virus transmission were taken, campers were not required to wear cloth masks or open windows or doors for increased ventilation in the buildings.
The CDC stressed that the event shows that "persons in all age groups" were susceptible to the infection despite efforts by officials to "implement most recommended strategies to prevent transmission."
An important finding from the investigation was that of the role of children who test positive for COVID-19, which, "contrary to early reports, might play an important role in transmission."
t also found that children in a "group setting" engaging in regular "singing and cheering likely contributed to transmission" and that the multiple measures adopted by the camp were not enough to "prevent an outbreak in the context of substantial community transmission."