With more than 260 campers and staff infected with the coronavirus at a facility in Georgia last month, the CDC has released a report calling into question claims that children are not efficient transmitters of the virus, the Washington Post reports.
The average age of children at the sleepover camp was 12-years-old, and three-quarters of those tested had a positive result for infection, the CDC report noted. All camp attendees had to provide negative test results from a week before they attended the camp. Camp counselors were required to wear masks.
“These findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 spread efficiently in a youth-centric overnight setting, resulting in high attack rates among people in all age groups, despite efforts by camp officials to implement most recommended strategies to prevent transmission,” the report said.
“Asymptomatic infection was common and potentially contributed to undetected transmission, as has been previously reported. This investigation adds to the body of evidence demonstrating that children of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
The study demonstrates that, despite the claims of conservatives and the Trump Administration, groups of children are still dangerous vectors for infections from the coronavirus. The Trump Administration and many republican governors are pushing for schools to reopen in September, citing a low risk of infection among children.