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Multiple NE states now dealing with COVID outbreaks in youth hockey. NH has taken the strongest action, a two week "pause" of all activities associated with youth, amateur and college hockey after 158 cases in the past two months. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/16/nation/new-study-raises-warning-flag-about-possible-coronavirus-outbreaks-hockey-games/
Also now, a serious outbreak on the Yale men's hockey team. 6 positive players reported on Oct 13; 18 additional players subsequently found to be positive. Contact tracing and testing of additional players and staff associated with the team is ongoing. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/16/us/yale-ice-hockey-covid-spt-trnd/index.html
This week CDC published a report of an older outbreak of an outbreak on a recreational hockey team in Florida in June. 14 of 22 players ended up being infected after what appears to be a single game exposure! 3/ https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6941a4.htm?s_cid=mm6941a4_w
Osterholm: "Ice rinks have a very unique ventilation challenge because you want to keep that ice cold and you have the boards and the glass around it. What you basically do is create a refrigerator out there." 4/ https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/podcasts-webinars/live-episode-2
"They're going to be skating a lot and they're going to hold that virus in as if I was in a small room with all those players. And moving around in by itself is not going to dissipate the virus away because the cold hangs down tight around the ice skating rink." 5/
"I can't think of anything else in sports where there's something about ventilation that would cause the virus to sink, stay in there and not move or dissipate. And I think this is going to be a real challenge." 6/
If Osterholm is correct, we are going to see outbreaks all across New England in the next few weeks. Youth hockey is a major part of the community and culture of all of the NE states. This is going to have massive ripple effects.
