Chicago gym had 55-person COVID outbreak despite distancing
The Centers for Disease Control traced 55 COVID infections from August to a Chicago gym where people were physically distanced and brought their own gear but wore masks “infrequently.”
The unnamed indoor facility saw 55 of 81 people who attended high-intensity workout classes contract the virus, according to a CDC report released Wednesday. None of the infected people died from the disease; one person was hospitalized for eight days.
Multiple attendees tested positive for COVID-19 prior to a workout, yet attended a class anyway, the Chicago Tribune reported. The CDC found 22 people joined the sessions, which occurred between Aug. 24 and Sept. 1, despite experiencing COVID-19 symptoms the same day or the day before.
According to the CDC, 76% of the attendees wore masks infrequently during the exercise classes.
Otherwise, however, the gym followed public health guidelines: limiting capacity to 25%, stationing people 6 feet apart and requiring them to bring their own materials, according to the Tribune.
“Attendees should wear a mask, including during high-intensity activities when greater than 6 feet apart,” the CDC said. “In addition, facilities should enforce physical distancing, improve ventilation, and encourage attendees to isolate after symptom onset” or positive test results.
The facility closed for two weeks after an attendee reported a positive test Sept. 1, according to the CDC.
More than 240,000 people in Chicago have tested positive for COVID-19, according to state data. More than 4,800 Chicagoans have died from the disease.
