On November 30, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois, residents debuted for COVID-19 testing at the Pritzker College Prep in the Hermosa neighborhood.
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A local bar opened in a rural Illinois county in early February was linked to at least 46 new cases of coronavirus and a school closure that affected 650 children, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The county’s per capita count doubled as a result of the bar opening, CDC said. Prior to the event, the county had an average of up to 42 cases per 100,000 people for seven days. That daily average of the case doubled more than 14 days after the opening, the CDC said.
The case, highlighted in a research paper released Monday, provides more evidence of how weddings and gatherings in restaurants and nightclubs have the potential to become widespread Covid-19 events.
After the routine investigation of the cases, local health officials identified a group of cases related to a handful of people at the opening of the indoor bar, including an assistant who was diagnosed with asymptomatic Covid-19 the day before and who still he went there. Four people who had symptoms and then tested positive for the virus were also there that night.
“These findings show that opening parameters such as bars, where mask wear and physical distancing are difficult, can increase the risk of community transmission,” the CDC said.
One of the bar attendees who later tested positive identified 26 close contacts they had while attending school for indoor sports or face-to-face instruction. Two sports students also tested positive, leading local officials to close the school district after more than a dozen staff members were potentially exposed.
Another bar attendant worked at a long-term care center where a staff member and two residents were identified as positive days after the event. At least one resident was hospitalized before being released the same day. None were vaccinated.
On Feb. 26, 12 people from eight different households who were in contact with people who were at the bar that night tested positive for Covid-19, including five school-age children, according to the study. None were hospitalized.
“This research further demonstrates that inconsistent use of masks and inappropriate physical distancing in an indoor environment can increase the risk of transmission,” the CDC wrote. “[Covid-19] transmission originated in a business such as a bar not only affects the owners and employees of the bar, but can also affect an entire community. “
The CDC said the findings are subject to at least four limitations. First, the interviews were voluntary and many community members did not provide complete information, so the number of cases reported in the study is likely to be less than the actual number of cases.
It was also likely that not all asymptomatic cases were counted and not all contacts were provided. No information was collected on individual behaviors such as wearing masks and social distancing from people with positive outcomes. Finally, specimens were not available for whole-genome sequencing, so it was not possible to determine whether Covid variant strains were to blame for the increased transmission.
The CDC argues that a multicomponent approach should be implemented, such as applying the correct use of masks, social distancing, reducing indoor capacity, adequate ventilation, and tracking contacts to prevent the spread of virus before opening settings such as bars and restaurants.