Camp health care practices and adaptations associated with covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes in camp health care implementation. This study evaluated camp providers' COVID-19 management practices following the summer of 2021 to inform future communicable disease planning. Online questionnaire data were collected from camp leaders and health care providers (n = 321). Reported COVID-19 cases were very low among both campers and staff. Most camps encouraged camper and staff vaccination before camp, with only a quarter requiring staff vaccination. NPIs used most frequently included cohorting, enhanced cleaning procedures, and scheduled hand hygiene. Camps also reduced the number of campers served and relocated dining, camp health care, and other activities outdoors. A positive correlation was found between requiring staff COVID vaccination and no positive COVID-19 cases. These findings offer insight into communicable disease mitigation strategies and organizational planning that can continue to keep camp populations healthy during communicable disease events like COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Application of non-pharmaceutical interventions in camps following the onset of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the United States in the spring and summer of 2020, many organizations serving children and youth immediately faced significant operational and healthcare challenges. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for the safe operation of youth programmes emphasized the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), yet few studies have examined NPI usage in summer programmes such as camps. METHOD: This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study explored the utilization of NPIs among camp healthcare providers who completed an online questionnaire followed by one-on-one interviews. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that camps consistently used a core set of NPIs to maintain and protect the health of camp participants, including screening, cohorting, hand hygiene, sanitizing practices, ventilation and physical distancing. The study findings further identified specific practices of camp healthcare providers that made NPI utilization possible, as exemplified in the emergent themes of wellness promotion; health awareness and modelling; and camp health service mobilization. CONCLUSION: NPI usage benchmarks from this study, as well as effective practices for NPI utilization, can inform the application of NPIs and other health-promoting practices across diverse formal and informal youth settings.