The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered personal and group behaviors that may directly or indirectly affect other public health issues. This paper examines if and how COVID-19 indirectly influenced beach safety and drownings within the Great Lakes region using daily drowning data from 2020 in comparison to historical trends in drownings pre-COVID. Results suggest that the number of beach drownings in the Great Lakes region was significantly greater compared to the pre-COVID period of 2010–2019. Statistically significant increases in drownings were observed in Lake Michigan (+14), Lake Ontario (+11) and Lake Huron (+4), while no change and a slight decrease was observed in Lake Superior and Lake Erie respectively. Drownings were lower than the historical average early in the pandemic but began to increase as stay-at-home orders were lifted through June and July. It is argued that the increase in drowning is due to a combination of reduced local lifeguard resources, cancelled swimming lessons, large beach crowds, warm weather, high-water levels and self-isolation fatigue. Whether in the Great Lakes region or elsewhere around the world, beach safety cannot be sacrificed in a future public health emergency by budget cuts or by reducing the focus of lifeguards with enforcement of social distancing.

COVID-19 大流行显着改变了可能直接或间接影响其他公共卫生问题的个人和群体行为。本文使用 2020 年的每日溺水数据与 COVID-19 前溺水的历史趋势进行比较，研究了 COVID-19 是否以及如何间接影响五大湖地区的海滩安全和溺水。结果表明，与 2010-2019 年 COVID 之前的时期相比，五大湖地区的海滩溺水人数明显增加。密歇根湖 (+14)、安大略湖 (+11) 和休伦湖 (+4) 的溺水人数显着增加，而苏必利尔湖和伊利湖的溺水人数没有变化，略有下降。在大流行初期，溺水事件低于历史平均水平，但随着 6 月和 7 月取消居家令，溺水事件开始增加。有人认为，溺水人数增加的原因是当地救生员资源减少、游泳课程取消、海滩人群众多、温暖的天气、高水位和自我隔离疲劳。无论是在五大湖地区还是世界其他地方，在未来的突发公共卫生事件中，都不能通过削减预算或通过加强社交距离来减少救生员的注意力，从而牺牲海滩安全。