SO: camp hidden meadows Covid outbreak

[Anonymous]

The camp is under new ownership this year and as far as we are concerned it has been an extremely bumpy road. I have had two kids go there for over 7 years. I have given the new owners the benefit of the doubt but things have drastically changed there (dress codes for girls, religious undertones, etc.). The biggest one I don't like is that they no longer allow your child to send you bunk notes, so you have no way of receiving communications from your child. In the past it was helpful to hear from my child when they felt they were sick (twice my kids have developed serious ear infections at camp, probably from all the swimming, and the camp wasn't taking it seriously so after receiving bunk notes from my kids I called and they finally agreed to have them checked out and start on antibiotics). That is a real, really change. They told me "well once a week we do a letter writing session" but my kids, who were there for several weeks, told me that because they didn't have their own stamps and the camp wouldn't' give them any, they couldn't write me. I wasn't so concerned with not getting a letter from my kids, but only if they didn't feel like writing.

It's a real shame because it has been such a wonderful camp for my kids for so long.

My kids this summer took the shuttle. They tested everyone on a rapid and no one could load their stuff on the bus until 15 min after test taken and results. I wasn't too concerned with my own kids because we had all had covid in May so we felt we were in that 3 months post covid window. But if one kid on that shuttle unknowingly is contagious, well then it's spreading. But I imagine we all took that risk with sending our kids to camp anyway so we had to put that in our risk bucket.

Almost every year the camp has a cold going around. But this year campers couldn't send bunk notes to their parents. I do know of a few kids who were able to use counselors' phones and text or call their parents when on excursions where they can get a signal or on a few places at camp that work. These were the communications where the kids told their parents they didn't feel well and weren't getting better.

[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?

Covid isn't always accompanied by a fever. This is why many places ask you symptom-related questions as well as take your temperature. And you ask both the kid and the parents.

If you think denying entry to camp is too much, then perhaps isolation of a symptomatic kid in a quarantine area for 24-48 hours and another rapid test during that time.

[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."

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?

Covid isn't always accompanied by a fever. This is why many places ask you symptom-related questions as well as take your temperature. And you ask both the kid and the parents.

If you think denying entry to camp is too much, then perhaps isolation of a symptomatic kid in a quarantine area for 24-48 hours and another rapid test during that time.

You are smoking something strong, my friend.

[Anonymous]

People- if you are hellbent on preventing covid at all costs, then do not send your kid to camp.

The. End.

[Anonymous]

Op, I think it is unwise to have the grandparents come right after sleepaway camp. I’d push it off a week or at least five days. Rapid test your kid when you pick him up and every day for five or six days. Do a PCR the day after he returns and five days after. The grandparents can return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, I think it is unwise to have the grandparents come right after sleepaway camp. I’d push it off a week or at least five days. Rapid test your kid when you pick him up and every day for five or six days. Do a PCR the day after he returns and five days after. The grandparents can return.

Typo. The grandparents can come after the second pcr test. I would also test everyone else in the household. We do that regardless when we see old peopke

[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."

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?

Covid isn't always accompanied by a fever. This is why many places ask you symptom-related questions as well as take your temperature. And you ask both the kid and the parents.

If you think denying entry to camp is too much, then perhaps isolation of a symptomatic kid in a quarantine area for 24-48 hours and another rapid test during that time.

You are smoking something strong, my friend.

Why? Seems like folks here are concerned about kids with symptoms getting a negative rapid test and being admitted into camp. In fact, that's probably how many of these outbreaks are starting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The camp is under new ownership this year and as far as we are concerned it has been an extremely bumpy road. I have had two kids go there for over 7 years. I have given the new owners the benefit of the doubt but things have drastically changed there (dress codes for girls, religious undertones, etc.). The biggest one I don't like is that they no longer allow your child to send you bunk notes, so you have no way of receiving communications from your child. In the past it was helpful to hear from my child when they felt they were sick (twice my kids have developed serious ear infections at camp, probably from all the swimming, and the camp wasn't taking it seriously so after receiving bunk notes from my kids I called and they finally agreed to have them checked out and start on antibiotics). That is a real, really change. They told me "well once a week we do a letter writing session" but my kids, who were there for several weeks, told me that because they didn't have their own stamps and the camp wouldn't' give them any, they couldn't write me. I wasn't so concerned with not getting a letter from my kids, but only if they didn't feel like writing.

It's a real shame because it has been such a wonderful camp for my kids for so long.

My kids this summer took the shuttle. They tested everyone on a rapid and no one could load their stuff on the bus until 15 min after test taken and results. I wasn't too concerned with my own kids because we had all had covid in May so we felt we were in that 3 months post covid window. But if one kid on that shuttle unknowingly is contagious, well then it's spreading. But I imagine we all took that risk with sending our kids to camp anyway so we had to put that in our risk bucket.

Almost every year the camp has a cold going around. But this year campers couldn't send bunk notes to their parents. I do know of a few kids who were able to use counselors' phones and text or call their parents when on excursions where they can get a signal or on a few places at camp that work. These were the communications where the kids told their parents they didn't feel well and weren't getting better.

Can you provide more context on the religious undertones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The camp is under new ownership this year and as far as we are concerned it has been an extremely bumpy road. I have had two kids go there for over 7 years. I have given the new owners the benefit of the doubt but things have drastically changed there (dress codes for girls, religious undertones, etc.). The biggest one I don't like is that they no longer allow your child to send you bunk notes, so you have no way of receiving communications from your child. In the past it was helpful to hear from my child when they felt they were sick (twice my kids have developed serious ear infections at camp, probably from all the swimming, and the camp wasn't taking it seriously so after receiving bunk notes from my kids I called and they finally agreed to have them checked out and start on antibiotics). That is a real, really change. They told me "well once a week we do a letter writing session" but my kids, who were there for several weeks, told me that because they didn't have their own stamps and the camp wouldn't' give them any, they couldn't write me. I wasn't so concerned with not getting a letter from my kids, but only if they didn't feel like writing.

It's a real shame because it has been such a wonderful camp for my kids for so long.

My kids this summer took the shuttle. They tested everyone on a rapid and no one could load their stuff on the bus until 15 min after test taken and results. I wasn't too concerned with my own kids because we had all had covid in May so we felt we were in that 3 months post covid window. But if one kid on that shuttle unknowingly is contagious, well then it's spreading. But I imagine we all took that risk with sending our kids to camp anyway so we had to put that in our risk bucket.

Almost every year the camp has a cold going around. But this year campers couldn't send bunk notes to their parents. I do know of a few kids who were able to use counselors' phones and text or call their parents when on excursions where they can get a signal or on a few places at camp that work. These were the communications where the kids told their parents they didn't feel well and weren't getting better.

I'm not the OP above, but our kids also reported some religious undertones. Supposedly, there were some non-denominational prayers at meals the first weeks of the session, but the kids objected and the camp nixed them. Not sure of any others. (And we were also disappointed (and unaware) that our kids couldn't send bunk notes any more, nor could they receive care packages of books or other items from home.)

Can you provide more context on the religious undertones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And for kids who have high risk parents at home who also deserve the ability to safely enjoy summer camp

Outbreak or no outbreak of the child of high risk parents is going to sleep away camp (or, you know, otherwise socializing with other people) then the family should have a strategy in place to reduce the risk of that high risk parent.

We know how to avoid COVID - limit interaction with other people. If you’re not doing that, then there’s a risk you’ll get COVID. Period.

[Anonymous]

huh. I didn't realize the camp was under new ownership. I did see the thing about no skimpy bikinis and thought it was a bit ridiculous, but didn't notice any religious overtones (and my kid didn't mention anything). I am curious to know more about this, if you care to share.

My kid also said that they give them stamps if they want to send letters home (And I think that is what they told us too, but I honestly don't remember now). My kid did not send anything home, but his friend did. They were good about sending my kids the notes I sent them.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, my kid came home from 2 weeks at CHM with a nasty cough and explained that it was the "cold that was going around." I was extremely skeptical but all rapid and PCR tests wound up negative. Sometimes a cold is just a cold?

[Anonymous]

CHM’s packing list specifically lists to bring a stamped envelope for writing letters home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And for kids who have high risk parents at home who also deserve the ability to safely enjoy summer camp

Outbreak or no outbreak of the child of high risk parents is going to sleep away camp (or, you know, otherwise socializing with other people) then the family should have a strategy in place to reduce the risk of that high risk parent.

We know how to avoid COVID - limit interaction with other people. If you’re not doing that, then there’s a risk you’ll get COVID. Period.

We of course know that thanks for the insight that I'm fully well aware of after navigating this for 2+ years. I'm not going to lock my kids away forever - they've been through plenty pre-vaccine and we understand we now have to take risks of people being pre-symptomatic, or have navigated negative tests (my kids get colds and allergies that we balance too of course) and that includes camp. But seriously, the attitude of those who have symptoms and are not willing to even test is what is continuing to be so disheartening - its not that hard to take other considerations into account for other people but often seems to be here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CHM’s packing list specifically lists to bring a stamped envelope for writing letters home.

It does, it always has said that. Also says it takes over a week to receive letters on both ends which is why it has always been such a great bonus to be able to sign up for bunk notes (I didn’t mind paying the fee). Our family has had campers for almost 10 years now and we always did the bunk notes and care packages. Now suddenly none of either.

The bunk notes, not allowing your child to contact you if they wanted to, was a huge change and seemed weird. I have one kid who loved to write almost every single day about random stuff and another who never wanted to write except if something was wrong. I never forced them to write me or expected it but it was part of the reason we kept going back (the ability for my kid to write me if they wanted).