MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — A Mount Vernon choir’s experience offers a sobering lesson on the importance of social distancing, and avoiding groups of people.
The coronavirus was spreading in Washington on March 6th, but Skagit Valley Chorale thought it would be safe to have their weekly rehearsal at the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church.
They used hand sanitizer, didn’t have contact with one another and kept their distance.
But the LA Times Seattle Bureau reports 45 of the 60 people who showed up later tested positive for COVID-19 or showed symptoms.
Two choir members died.
Medical experts say its an example of a growing body of evidence that the virus can be spread through aerosols – tiny droplets that a person doesn’t have to sneeze or cough to emit and which can stay active in the air for minutes.