When a family member visited from out of state for a funeral they comforted loved one’s and unknowingly spread the coronavirus not only to family, but started a chain of contagion in the city of Chicago.
On April 8th the CDC released a case study detailing how COVID-19 has been spreading through communities. Focusing on how one individual can bring mass infection to an area through basic interactions.
Before social distancing policies were implemented a family friend came to the Chicago area in February to attend a funeral and a birthday party. The individual (referred to as Patient A1.1 in the report) was feeling under the weather with mild respiratory symptoms, but wasn’t aware of the severity.
During the funeral the infected of course hugged friends and family to comfort them. They also attended a birthday party three days later.
Within about a week of the funeral, a family member of the deceased was hospitalized, put on a ventilator and subsequently died. Three of the birthday party attendees who went to church afterwards, continuing the spread into Chicago.
After the events sixteen people between the ages of five and 86 had been infected with coronavirus (seven confirmed and nine probable), and three had died (all over the age of 60).
The CDC report states that “These findings highlight the importance of adhering to current social distancing recommendations, including guidance to avoid any gatherings with persons from multiple households and following state or local stay-at-home orders.”