Federal health officials found that coronavirus cases at fitness centers in Chicago and Honolulu were caused by misuse of masks and carelessness about symptoms.
Gym members and guests are supposed to wear masks when they work out and keep six feet apart according to public health officials.
Exercise classes are showing an increase in the spread of covid and it may due to increased perspiration, increased breathing, and shouting out of exercise routines by facility instructors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising fitness centers to take action to prevent outbreaks, ranging from enforcing proper mask use and reminding gym and staff members to stay home if they have symptoms of illness or have tested positive for the virus.
During exercise heavy breathing is inevitable, and when coupled with confined spaces the chances of transmission are multiplied. An alternative is to offer virtual classes which will help reduce infection risk.
“It’s very important for individuals who would like to attend a gym and work out to be cognizant of what the Covid symptoms are, and to be aware that if you are feeling something that looks and feels like a Covid-19 symptom, to stay home as a precaution,” said Richard A. Teran, a C.D.C. epidemiologist in Chicago who was one of the authors of the Chicago case study published on Wednesday.
At a gym in Chicago, Dr. Teran and his colleagues identified 55 coronavirus infections among 81 people who attended high-intensity, in-person fitness classes between Aug. 24 and Sept 1. Among them were 22 people who had gone to the classes on the day they developed their first symptoms of illness or the day after.
Three went to an exercise class on the day they received a positive test result indicating they had been infected, or the day after. In all, 43 gym members who tested positive participated in classes when they were possibly infectious, researchers said.
It is important to note that the outbreak occurred even though classes at the gym were limited to 25 percent of their usual size, with only 10 to 15 people in attendance.
Members were required to wear masks when they entered the gym, their temperatures taken and they were screened for symptoms. The contradiction in safety measures lies in mask removal while exercising
In Hawaii, public health investigators traced 21 infections directly to a 37-year-old male fitness instructor in Honolulu who taught at several facilities and developed symptoms of Covid-19 – body aches, chills, headache, and cough, according to a C.D.C. report.
Hours before his first symptoms, he taught an hour-long stationary cycling class with 10 participants, none of whom wore a mask. Not surprisingly all of the participants tested positive including a 46-year-old man who worked as a fitness instructor at another facility. He became acutely ill and was hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
Like many businesses fitness centers and gyms have been hit hard since last March, when the pandemic struck. They were among the first businesses shuttered last spring, and now they are ready to welcome members and guests back to their facilities.
The International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association, an industry group, reported recently that 15 percent of the nation’s clubs and studios closed last fall, and more closures and bankruptcies are expected. The association has been encouraging people to return to gyms, adopting the slogan “Exercise is vital!”
“Many clubs have put in place new safety protocols and have taken steps to improve ventilation, upgrade air filtration systems and maximize outdoor air circulation”, said Alex Larcom, the association’s senior manager of health promotion and health policy. “The C.D.C. studies state the spreads were caused by inconsistent mask use and other lapses in behavior, and quite possibly that were inadequately ventilated buildings”, she said.
The C.D.C. researchers continue to stress that safety is required in fitness facilities, including good ventilation, consistent and correct mask usage, diligence in requiring employees and patrons to remain home when sick, and several available handwashing stations.