No Outbreaks Here! Simple Strategies for Reducing the Spread of Communicable Disease at Camp

The emergence of COVID-19 highlighted the importance of preventative behaviors and practices to reduce the spread and impact of communicable diseases in camp. This short course is rooted in lessons learned from the ACA Health Camp Study. Beginning in 2006, and continuing through the summer of 2010, the American Camp Association undertook a five-year surveillance study of injuries and illnesses in day and resident camps. This project, called the Healthy Camp Study, is to date the only example of a long-term illness and injury surveillance study conducted with a representative sample of U.S. summer camps.

The purpose of this course is to help you have less communicable illnesses this summer and to realize some strategies for making your campers and staff more resilient to sore throats, the common cold, and other communicable illnesses

Watch and learn how to decrease the impact of communicable diseases in the camp community, to change individuals’ behaviors regarding cough/sneeze protective actions, and to increase the likelihood that both campers and staff will remain engaged with the camp program instead of the health center.