Weddings are ground zero for COVID superspreader events. Here are the risks
A “superspreader” wedding near Ritzville, Washington, that may have led to the deaths of seven nursing home residents has raised the question of why weddings are so risky during the pandemic.
The wedding was attended by 300 people in November, and some of the guests worked at long-term care centers, the Tri-City Herald reported.
A 55-person wedding in Maine led to 177 COVID-19 cases, seven hospitalizations and seven deaths, according to a CDC report. The wedding led to positive cases in a long-term care facility 100 miles away from the event and a correctional facility around 200 miles away, the CDC wrote. Guests didn’t practice proper social distancing or mask wearing, the CDC says.
Weddings can be angerous for spreading the coronavirus because guests travel from different states to attend and may not follow health guidelines, and now cold weather is moving weddings indoors.
The CDC warns large gatherings are considered “highest risk” when it’s difficult to social distance and people travel from different areas.
“It’s such a happy event, and when the bride and groom come up to you, you say, ‘I’m just going to give them one hug.’ Telling people not to come near you, stay 6 feet away, goes against our normal human behavior, and that’s what makes weddings so dangerous,” infectious disease expert Debra Goff said, according to Healthline.
The risks of weddings also increase once people sit down to eat and take off their masks, Goff said.
It’s also becoming “increasingly challenging to have a safe wedding as the weather gets colder,” said Dr. Shobha Swaminathan, associate professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, according to Healthline.
“Weddings are so different from going into a store or sitting in a restaurant for 45 minutes,” a wedding planner told The New York Times. “These receptions last for three, four hours, and everyone is in an indoor space, breathing the air. They aren’t wearing masks and they are dancing. And when they start drinking, it’s like there is no pandemic.”
Restrictions also differ state-by-state for gatherings. In New York, both indoor and outdoor weddings have been limited to 10 people as of Nov. 13. In Arkansas, venues can open with up to 66% capacity for attendees.
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Weddings are ground zero for COVID superspreader events. Here are the risks."