A new Colorado study found that gym attendance has not been linked to any outbreaks of COVID-19 in the state.
The news comes when blockade restrictions implemented by state and local officials across the country have caused gym operators to have to close their doors for weeks and months to stop the spread of the virus.
The study was commissioned by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, after in October it said its data showed that only 1,155 cases of COVID-19 came from more than 49 million visits to the gym, or 0 .0023%, according to the Denver Post. The organization then asked the University of Oregon-based Oregon Consulting Group to conduct an independent study to confirm or refute its findings.
The results were clear
The group analyzed gym attendance data against outbreak statistics provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment over a period of 32 from March 13 to October 15.
What they found was quite remarkable: of the nearly 8.5 million visits to health clubs, none could be related to the 59 outbreaks reported by the CDPHE. Outbreaks are events in which two or more people report getting the virus.
“According to Colorado data as a proxy server, there is no correlation between health club visits and COVID-19 cases,” the study concluded, adding that “in relation to other public spaces such as restaurants and bars, health and fitness facilities are lower risk environments. “
The group noted that it is possible that safety protocols and sanitation practices implemented by gyms may be a contributing factor to the results.
What else?
Based on the data, the advisory group recommends that state and local leaders evaluate the data before banning entry to health clubs in their jurisdiction.
“If we look at Colorado’s self-reported outbreak record … gyms haven’t made the list so far, but bars and restaurants sure do,” OCG President Callum Kuo said.
“We need to be reasonable and critical when assessing relative risk. And from what we see in Colorado, gyms don’t fall into the same risk category as bars and restaurants,” he explained. “We believe states should look at their data more closely before hastily closing gyms and instead make decisions based on what they see in their respective states.”
For the CDPHE credit, the most recent mandatory closures exempted health and fitness centers.
“We’ve been talking to stakeholders and we don’t think this is one of the highest risk scenarios because people wear masks to the gym. Gyms are ensuring social distancing and also cleaning up their equipment. So we feel comfortable. allowing it, ”he said. the department’s executive director, Jill Ryan.