SO: camp hidden meadows Covid outbreak

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They haven’t communicated to parents that there is an outbreak? That’s pretty irresponsible. I know of two camps this summer that had significant outbreaks and they were great at keeping parents informed.

What difference would it make, really? High risk kids aren't going to sleep away camp.

That's quite an assumption. My child's camp had high risk campers attending, but they took precautions that most of dcum would scoff at, including universal testing at drop off and every day the first 3 days, eating by cabin, and masking everywhere indoors and in large group settings outside. It worked: no covid and high risk kids could have a normal summer. That's what it means to be inclusive.

That's responsible behavior. Music camp? One of my kids is a musician, and I feel the music world is more reasonable than some other activities.

No, a Jewish camp that takes seriously its commitment to be inclusive of campers with disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why in the hell are you asking here instead of calling the camp directly? So odd.

B/C OP would rather call them out in a public forum and give them a bad name because she's a terrible person.

[Anonymous]

Our kids are there and i really hope they can stay for two weeks, which is the highlight of their summer. We avoided meeting others or going indoors without masks the week ahead to make sure they would not test positive. We are also seeing a high risk grandparent afterwards but kept a buffer of a few days, so if we test positive, we can wait fives days before seeing the grandparent.This is a great camp— they seem to be reasonable in balancing the risk and making this a fun summer. I disagree that the testing was cursory. They are doing the best they can in this crazy world. If your family is serious about risk avoidance, which I understand, why send your kid to sleepaway, OP? Why plan the trip for right after camp?

[Anonymous]

My neighbor’s kid was sent home last week and the parent is extremely unhappy with how it was all handled. She doesn’t blame the camp for her kid getting covid however when the kid complained of feeling sick for days and was repeatedly refused a test the kid was able to call the parents and told her parents how bad she felt and then it all hit the fan.

Camp is saying it’s just the annual “camp cold”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They haven’t communicated to parents that there is an outbreak? That’s pretty irresponsible. I know of two camps this summer that had significant outbreaks and they were great at keeping parents informed.

What difference would it make, really? High risk kids aren't going to sleep away camp.

That's quite an assumption. My child's camp had high risk campers attending, but they took precautions that most of dcum would scoff at, including universal testing at drop off and every day the first 3 days, eating by cabin, and masking everywhere indoors and in large group settings outside. It worked: no covid and high risk kids could have a normal summer. That's what it means to be inclusive.

Thank you for sharing this pp. Hope your kid's having a wonderful time!

[Anonymous]

Our kid was at CHM for two weeks and just got back this weekend. The testing upon arrival was not cursory in our opinion. They did the rapid test - waited the 15 minutes and checked. When a few people started to come down with symptoms the end of week one/beginning of week 2 they tested them. Positive cases were isolated and picked up. They set up a cabin for positive cases who needed to stay overnight because parents couldn’t pick them up right away. They did test people with symptoms. Did they test everyone with any symptoms? Probably not - I don’t know what parameters they were using, but I think they did a good job of communicating. Should they have tested everyone again - symptomatic or not? That is a hard call and one the camp needs to make. They did refer to a camp cold, but that does happen at sleepaway camps, and most of the campers who were tested were negative for COVID, so maybe there was a cold and COVID at the same time, maybe not, but I don’t think parents would want to pick up kids with symptoms who test negative. I was thankful ours made it through the two weeks! We have tested now twice upon return to be sure, but both were negative.

[Anonymous]

OP: thanks for the feedback. I have nothing negative to say about the camp and recognize the risk we're taking with overnight camp. Didn't at all mean to publicly shame them although I realize it could have come off that way. It looks like my son is having an awesome time there (first timer).

The other thread freaked me out so I was curious if anyone had any recent experience so I could anticipate whether or not we should proactively reschedule the grandparents' visit.

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in.

[Anonymous]

The counselors and CITs are getting sick.

Look it happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The counselors and CITs are getting sick.

Look it happens.

The counselors and CITs are often allowed to leave the camp on their days off - and unfortunately are bringing back Covid (even if they're tested upon return).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our kid was at CHM for two weeks and just got back this weekend. The testing upon arrival was not cursory in our opinion. They did the rapid test - waited the 15 minutes and checked. When a few people started to come down with symptoms the end of week one/beginning of week 2 they tested them. Positive cases were isolated and picked up. They set up a cabin for positive cases who needed to stay overnight because parents couldn’t pick them up right away. They did test people with symptoms. Did they test everyone with any symptoms? Probably not - I don’t know what parameters they were using, but I think they did a good job of communicating. Should they have tested everyone again - symptomatic or not? That is a hard call and one the camp needs to make. They did refer to a camp cold, but that does happen at sleepaway camps, and most of the campers who were tested were negative for COVID, so maybe there was a cold and COVID at the same time, maybe not, but I don’t think parents would want to pick up kids with symptoms who test negative. I was thankful ours made it through the two weeks! We have tested now twice upon return to be sure, but both were negative.

I'd be curious to know how the camp determined whether someone had symptoms. Did it run through a checklist of symptoms within the past X days? Or did it simply allow the testing folks to use their judgment as to whether someone had symptoms?

I would think that if someone had symptoms, yet tested negative on a rapid test, they should not be allowed into camp. CDC guidelines say that if someone is symptomatic, but is antigen negative, a confirmatory NAAT (PCR) "should take place as soon as possible after the antigen test, and not longer than 48 hours after the initial antigen testing. . . . If performing serial antigen testing, wait 24-48 hours between tests."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kid was at CHM for two weeks and just got back this weekend. The testing upon arrival was not cursory in our opinion. They did the rapid test - waited the 15 minutes and checked. When a few people started to come down with symptoms the end of week one/beginning of week 2 they tested them. Positive cases were isolated and picked up. They set up a cabin for positive cases who needed to stay overnight because parents couldn’t pick them up right away. They did test people with symptoms. Did they test everyone with any symptoms? Probably not - I don’t know what parameters they were using, but I think they did a good job of communicating. Should they have tested everyone again - symptomatic or not? That is a hard call and one the camp needs to make. They did refer to a camp cold, but that does happen at sleepaway camps, and most of the campers who were tested were negative for COVID, so maybe there was a cold and COVID at the same time, maybe not, but I don’t think parents would want to pick up kids with symptoms who test negative. I was thankful ours made it through the two weeks! We have tested now twice upon return to be sure, but both were negative.

I'd be curious to know how the camp determined whether someone had symptoms. Did it run through a checklist of symptoms within the past X days? Or did it simply allow the testing folks to use their judgment as to whether someone had symptoms?

I would think that if someone had symptoms, yet tested negative on a rapid test, they should not be allowed into camp. CDC guidelines say that if someone is symptomatic, but is antigen negative, a confirmatory NAAT (PCR) "should take place as soon as possible after the antigen test, and not longer than 48 hours after the initial antigen testing. . . . If performing serial antigen testing, wait 24-48 hours between tests."[/quote

Define "Symptom." Anything other than a fever is a ridiculous rule. No kids with allergies should be allowed at camp? Or kids who are snuffly because they have been teary at drop off? What about kids who get carsick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kid was at CHM for two weeks and just got back this weekend. The testing upon arrival was not cursory in our opinion. They did the rapid test - waited the 15 minutes and checked. When a few people started to come down with symptoms the end of week one/beginning of week 2 they tested them. Positive cases were isolated and picked up. They set up a cabin for positive cases who needed to stay overnight because parents couldn’t pick them up right away. They did test people with symptoms. Did they test everyone with any symptoms? Probably not - I don’t know what parameters they were using, but I think they did a good job of communicating. Should they have tested everyone again - symptomatic or not? That is a hard call and one the camp needs to make. They did refer to a camp cold, but that does happen at sleepaway camps, and most of the campers who were tested were negative for COVID, so maybe there was a cold and COVID at the same time, maybe not, but I don’t think parents would want to pick up kids with symptoms who test negative. I was thankful ours made it through the two weeks! We have tested now twice upon return to be sure, but both were negative.

I'd be curious to know how the camp determined whether someone had symptoms. Did it run through a checklist of symptoms within the past X days? Or did it simply allow the testing folks to use their judgment as to whether someone had symptoms?

I would think that if someone had symptoms, yet tested negative on a rapid test, they should not be allowed into camp. CDC guidelines say that if someone is symptomatic, but is antigen negative, a confirmatory NAAT (PCR) "should take place as soon as possible after the antigen test, and not longer than 48 hours after the initial antigen testing. . . . If performing serial antigen testing, wait 24-48 hours between tests."[/quote

Define "Symptom." Anything other than a fever is a ridiculous rule. No kids with allergies should be allowed at camp? Or kids who are snuffly because they have been teary at drop off? What about kids who get carsick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They haven’t communicated to parents that there is an outbreak? That’s pretty irresponsible. I know of two camps this summer that had significant outbreaks and they were great at keeping parents informed.

What difference would it make, really? High risk kids aren't going to sleep away camp.

That's quite an assumption. My child's camp had high risk campers attending, but they took precautions that most of dcum would scoff at, including universal testing at drop off and every day the first 3 days, eating by cabin, and masking everywhere indoors and in large group settings outside. It worked: no covid and high risk kids could have a normal summer. That's what it means to be inclusive.

That's responsible behavior. Music camp? One of my kids is a musician, and I feel the music world is more reasonable than some other activities.

No, a Jewish camp that takes seriously its commitment to be inclusive of campers with disabilities.

I know lots of people who have gotten infected at conferences this summer despite pre-conf covid testing, rapids on site, mask reqs, wearing N95 the entire time inside, never dining indoors, etc. If you are sending your kid anywhere that a large group is gathering, there is a decent chance that they will catch covid. They are sleeping indoors unmasked, right? All it takes is one kid testing negative on arrival while still incubating virus, then spreading it during sleep when they develop a higher viral load. I would not send an immunocompromised child to sleepaway camp.

To OP, any sleepaway camp is a covid risk. You should definitely be testing your child before visiting grandparents, and if possible, keep the visit outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They haven’t communicated to parents that there is an outbreak? That’s pretty irresponsible. I know of two camps this summer that had significant outbreaks and they were great at keeping parents informed.

What difference would it make, really? High risk kids aren't going to sleep away camp.

That's quite an assumption. My child's camp had high risk campers attending, but they took precautions that most of dcum would scoff at, including universal testing at drop off and every day the first 3 days, eating by cabin, and masking everywhere indoors and in large group settings outside. It worked: no covid and high risk kids could have a normal summer. That's what it means to be inclusive.

It’s great that there are camps with strict protocols for those who are more COVID cautious. It’s also great that there are camps that less strict (while still complying with local regulations) for those want a less restrictive environment/have kids that don’t tolerate masks well. Not every camp has to be a good fit for every child. It is important that the camps are upfront with their policies/plans so that parents can make an informed decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They haven’t communicated to parents that there is an outbreak? That’s pretty irresponsible. I know of two camps this summer that had significant outbreaks and they were great at keeping parents informed.

What difference would it make, really? High risk kids aren't going to sleep away camp.

That's quite an assumption. My child's camp had high risk campers attending, but they took precautions that most of dcum would scoff at, including universal testing at drop off and every day the first 3 days, eating by cabin, and masking everywhere indoors and in large group settings outside. It worked: no covid and high risk kids could have a normal summer. That's what it means to be inclusive.

That's responsible behavior. Music camp? One of my kids is a musician, and I feel the music world is more reasonable than some other activities.

No, a Jewish camp that takes seriously its commitment to be inclusive of campers with disabilities.

Wow. They sound wonderful. I'm so glad to hear a camp is doing things responsibly.