Is going to the gym safe during the COVID-19 pandemic? New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights how attending smaller indoor gym classes is far more risky than most people think – especially if gymgoers don’t wear masks while exercising.
A case study showed that a Chicago resident attended an indoor gym class while feeling ill. The resident subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. The gym closed quickly, but 55 of the 81 people who attended high-intensity classes had a positive result between August 24 and September 1, 2020. No one died, but one person was hospitalized for eight days.
The CDC estimates that 40% of infected people attended classes the day or the day after the onset of symptoms. It is estimated that 76 percent of participants wore masks infrequently. Gym members brought their own weights and mats to classes, stood two meters away, and were checked for symptoms before class, but not everyone wore a mask during exercises. Also attending the class were people who were waiting for the results of the COVID-19 test and later tested positive.
“Most participants did not wear a mask during exercise class; the rare use of a mask when participating in indoor gym classes probably contributed to the transmission,” said the CDC in its report. “In addition, the potential for infected people to infect others between the test date and the receipt of test results reinforces the need to quarantine while waiting for a COVID-19 test result and avoid encounters while they are unconsciously infectious.”
Experts say people should wait for the hottest weather to exercise outdoors.
“If you can wait until spring and work out in the open, it will be much safer,” Joshua Epstein, professor of epidemiology at the NYU School of Global Public Health, told The Washington Post. “We are not out of the woods in any way. This is no time to relax.”
Epstein added that this “high-risk behavior” had predictable consequences.
“It’s a loud breath in an enclosed space,” said Epstein. “Yes, people brought masks, but evidently [a majority] they said they rarely used them, including some greedy participants. Some were symptomatic and some knew they were positive. These are all very, very high-risk circumstances. “
In a separate CDC report, public health researchers linked 31 coronavirus infections to a gym instructor in Honolulu who taught gym classes at various facilities. According to the report, he gave an hour-long cycling class with 10 participants on June 29 – no one wore a mask. All participants tested positive for coronavirus in early July. The outbreak caused a person to be admitted to the intensive care unit. Honolulu approved emergency orders requiring facial coverage at fitness centers, including during exercise. Before that, people could take off their masks while exercising.
Public health officials are warning that masks should be worn while exercising indoors, in addition to people staying at home while they are sick or waiting for the result of the coronavirus test.
“To reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in fitness facilities, staff members and customers must wear a mask, and the facilities must enforce consistent and correct use of the mask (including during high intensity activities) and physical distance , improve ventilation and remind customers and team members to stay home when they are sick, “says the CDC. “Practicing exercise outdoors or virtually can further reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”