A 13-year-old girl spread the coronavirus to 11 relatives across four states this summer, despite testing negative two days before a three-week family vacation, a recent journal article released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed.
The trip occurred at an undisclosed location in June and July, and its infected family members from ages 9 to 72 who travelled to a home that was shared between five households. No masks or distancing measures were in place. The teen was exposed to an unspecified covid-19 outbreak in June before testing negative, the report says. Nasal congestion was her only symptom.
The CDC declined to say where the family members were located “out of respect for the privacy of the family who generously shared their information with investigators,” but public health departments in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia and Illinois were cited in the article’s footnotes.
“The findings in this report highlight the need for those potentially exposed to COVID-19 to self-quarantine for 14 days after exposure or after interstate travel when mandated by state, territorial, tribal or local authorities,” CDC spokesperson Scott Pauley told The Washington Post via email.
“Social distancing, mask use, and hand hygiene reduce transmission in group settings and might have prevented this outbreak had they been used.”The CDC also pointed to the case as evidence for the benefits of social distancing: Six other individuals who visited but remained outside the home and at a distance were not infected.
The coronavirus-spreading event shows the risks of mixed-household gatherings like family reunions and parties, experts say, even after receiving negative test results. It is an important cautionary tale as Americans weigh whether to travel to gather with loved ones this holiday season.
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