Gyms are high-risk venues for coronavirus transmission: CDC

Gyms are high-risk venues for COVID-19 transmission and people need to be wearing masks while there, researchers warned in two papers published on Wednesday in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

One study described an August outbreak in a Chicago gym where 55 COVID-19 cases were identified among 81 attendees of indoor high-intensity exercise classes.

"Twenty-two (40 percent) persons with COVID-19 attended on or after the day symptoms began. Most attendees (76 percent) wore masks infrequently, including persons with (84 percent) and without COVID-19 (60 percent)," the authors reported.

The other study reported on three gyms in Hawaii where 21 COVID-19 cases in July were linked to two instructors who taught classes while infected. The rate of infection among students exposed before the instructors showed symptoms was 95 percent, the authors said.

Gym attendees should wear masks, including during high-intensity activities, even when they are 6 feet (1.83 m) or more apart, the Chicago researchers said. Facilities should enforce physical distancing, improve ventilation, and encourage attendees to isolate after symptom onset, possible exposure to COVID-19, or a positive coronavirus test result.

"Exercising outdoors or virtually could further reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk," they said.

研究人员在周三发表在美国疾病控制和预防中心《发病率和死亡率周报》上的两篇论文中警告说，健身房是新冠肺炎病毒传播的高风险场所，人们在那里需要戴口罩。

一项研究描述了8月份在芝加哥体育馆爆发的疫情，在81名室内高强度锻炼课程的参与者中发现了55例新冠肺炎病例。

“22名(40%)新冠肺炎患者在症状出现当天或之后就诊。大多数与会者(76%)很少戴口罩，包括有(84%)和没有新冠肺炎(60%)的人，”作者报道。

另一项研究报告了夏威夷州的三个健身房，在那里，7月份的21例新冠肺炎病例与两名教师有关，这两名教师在受感染时授课。作者说，在教师出现症状之前，学生的感染率为95%。

芝加哥的研究人员说，健身房的参与者应该戴口罩，包括在高强度活动期间，即使他们相距6英尺(1.83米)或更远。设施应加强物理距离，改善通风，并鼓励与会者在症状出现、可能暴露于新冠肺炎或冠状病毒检测结果阳性后进行隔离。

他们说:“户外锻炼或虚拟锻炼可以进一步降低非典传播风险。”。