Successul Summer Camps without Covid-19
Good news! A new study in the US has confirmed what we’ve always believed. Summer camps AREN’T spreaders of COVID-19. Something all parents and children wanted to hear for this summer.
Researchers at Duke University found very few examples of COVID-19 spreading at North Carolina summer camps where measures currently being implemented by organisations such as Explorer Camps were strictly followed.
The team analyzed data from more than 6,500 children and staffers at 54 YMCA camps — and identified just 10 kids and nine workers with confirmed infections.
“Our study suggests that appropriate measures to reduce the spread of disease can create an environment where normal childhood activities such as camp, school and after-school recreation can be provided with minimal risk,” said study co-author Emily D’Agostino.
The study period went from March through to August 2020, when local community cases of COVID-19 were on the rise. In fact, on average there were over 1500 new cases a day of the virus during the summer months in North Carolina.
Out of the 19 coronavirus infections recorded at the camps, only two patients were believed to have caught the virus there, while all of the others were infected outside of camp.
Of the camps the researchers looked at, 39 percent offered mostly indoor activities, 38 percent were outdoors and 23 percent had activities in both settings.
All of them had strict COVID-19 mitigation measures including:
- Exposures and symptoms screening
- Daily temperature checks
- Masks for all staff and attendees (indoors)
- Frequent hand hygiene (hand washing indoors and hand sanitizer in outdoor settings)
- Physical distancing (1.5m)
- Small groups
- Scheduled site cleaning
- Staff COVID-19 education/workplace training including mask-wearing, hand washing and social distancing.
The researchers said their findings suggest that, when a multi-layered approach to measures are followed, the benefits of “in-person programming” — such as at camps and schools —outweigh the risk of transmission.
“This data should be helpful to school systems and childcare providers as they navigate this exceedingly difficult time, yet work to promote the wellbeing of children and primary caregivers,” said study co-author Ibukun Akinboyo.
The good news is … if you find a camp that’s following all of these measures you children can lead a happy, healthy and safe life during the summer months. Of course, Explorer Camps already knew this through other studies done in the US and Spain so we can’t wait to get the summer started again!
