Small gatherings quietly a significant source of infections – Health News Today
Images of packed beaches, lakes and bars have made the rounds on traditional and social media for much of the summer, drawing scorn from those concerned about the coronavirus spreading among those crowds.
Less prominent but also troubling are the growing instances of case clusters arising from smaller gatherings.
Contact tracing is yielding information about the sources of infections as the U.S., by far the world leader in COVID-19 cases and deaths, continues to grapple with how to keep its population safe while propping up a flagging economy. More than 180,000 Americans have been killed by the disease.
The hasty reopening of businesses across much of the nation following the spring shutdown was largely blamed for a summer surge in infections, but it appears social functions of various sizes among relatives, friends and co-workers have been a contributing factor as well.
Public health experts are sounding the alarm as the Labor Day weekend approaches.
“People don’t think of it in the same way as the (President) Trump rally in Tulsa, a bunch of people on the beach or in the bars, but these small events add up to a lot. It’s just invisible,’’ said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco who specializes in infectious diseases.
There’s no generally accepted definition of what’s a small gathering – it may range from five to 30 people – and the vast majority of these activities are taking place behind closed doors. That makes it difficult to garner hard data about them.
Double trouble:Coronavirus Watch: Evacuating from Hurricane Laura amid COVID-19
In late July, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said contact tracing revealed 44% of those testing positive for the virus in the state reported attending a family activity and 23% a house party, but the size of the events was not specified.
Still, there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence supporting the notion that getting together with people outside the immediate household, even in fairly limited numbers, can lead to a rash of infections. Chin-Hong said several of the COVID patients he has treated believe they caught the virus at barbecues.
Weddings have been even more troublesome, including a 100-guest event in San Francisco in early July that resulted in at least 10 people contracting the virus, among them the bride and groom.
Smaller events such as family, office and graduation parties have yielded COVID-19 cases as well.
In Alabama, eight of the 11 relatives who went to a lake house together in July later tested positive for the coronavirus.
In the Washington, D.C. area, the host of a June backyard dinner for around 25 came down with COVID-19, as did some of her guests.
And in Houston, seven members of a family that went out for a Fathers’ Day meal developed COVID-19.
Education issues:Chaos reigns in some schools with in-person learning. Many kids are learning at home.
“Small gatherings are a concern because there’s so many of them. They may…