Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease has been a public health emergency of international concern with millions of confirmed cases globally. Closed environments with reduced ventilation contribute to the spread of COVID-19, including superspreading events. Exercising in closed places further increases the risk for transmission. Therefore, many fitness facilities were closed as part of mandated shutdowns early in the pandemic. Evidence-based safety protocols have now emerged and substantially reduce the risk of transmission. We report three positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 identified at a Dojo exercise facility in Manlius, NY, at three distinct time points. All cases were present in the Dojo 2 days prior to symptoms, a time period considered to be highly infectious. The safety protocols included universal mask wearing (no valves), multiple high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and reduced capacity which resulted in no known spread of COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; exercise; safety protocols.
© 2021 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.