TY - JOUR
T1 - Rapid return to normal activities at a residential summer camp during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Klunk, A.
AU - Holloway, R.
AU - Babaoff, A.
AU - Jelin, E. B.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to acknowledge Richard Woodstein, Michelle Brockman, Chuck Illig and Katie Lessard, Wendy Corbin, David Woodstein and Elizabeth Ward for their contributions to this project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - Aim: Infection prevention and control (IPC) within residential settings is a central focus of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Youth residential summer camps are an excellent model for such environments and have thus far had mixed results. The aim of this report was to describe the successful implementation of a seven-week overnight summer camp with rapid return to normal activities from June to August 2020. Subjects and methods: This retrospective study included 427 individuals who traveled from 24 US states. All staff and campers were tested by serial nasopharyngeal PCR tests in the context of strict infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, including cohorts and masking. The entire camp population was isolated from non-camp personnel with special measures for food, supply, and mail delivery. Results: During the two-week staff session, one staff member tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, was isolated, and sent safely off premises. All other campers and staff had three negative PCR tests: 1–8 days before arrival, upon arrival, and 5–6 days after arrival. After these three negative tests, 6 days into camp, most IPCs, including masking, were successfully lifted and a normal camp experience was possible. Conclusions: These findings indicate that serial PCR-based testing and strict adherence to IPC measures among cohorts can allow for successful assumption of near normal group activities in a residential setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This result at an overnight summer camp has broad implications for similar residential communities such as boarding schools, other youth education and development programs, as well as nursing homes and military installations.
AB - Aim: Infection prevention and control (IPC) within residential settings is a central focus of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Youth residential summer camps are an excellent model for such environments and have thus far had mixed results. The aim of this report was to describe the successful implementation of a seven-week overnight summer camp with rapid return to normal activities from June to August 2020. Subjects and methods: This retrospective study included 427 individuals who traveled from 24 US states. All staff and campers were tested by serial nasopharyngeal PCR tests in the context of strict infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, including cohorts and masking. The entire camp population was isolated from non-camp personnel with special measures for food, supply, and mail delivery. Results: During the two-week staff session, one staff member tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, was isolated, and sent safely off premises. All other campers and staff had three negative PCR tests: 1–8 days before arrival, upon arrival, and 5–6 days after arrival. After these three negative tests, 6 days into camp, most IPCs, including masking, were successfully lifted and a normal camp experience was possible. Conclusions: These findings indicate that serial PCR-based testing and strict adherence to IPC measures among cohorts can allow for successful assumption of near normal group activities in a residential setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This result at an overnight summer camp has broad implications for similar residential communities such as boarding schools, other youth education and development programs, as well as nursing homes and military installations.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Infection prevention
KW - Quarantine
KW - Residential camp
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Serial testing
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U2 - 10.1007/s10389-021-01597-9
DO - 10.1007/s10389-021-01597-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 34493964
AN - SCOPUS:85114093781
SN - 2198-1833
VL - 30
SP - 2657
EP - 2663
JO - Journal of Public Health (Germany)
JF - Journal of Public Health (Germany)
IS - 11
ER -