Round-the-clock revival in Kentucky suspected to be measles superspreader event

Oh boy, this doesn't seem like good news. Asbury University, a Christian college in Wilmore, Kentucky, recently ended a revival that started on February 8 and went, non-stop, 24-hours a day, for the two weeks that followed. Thousands of worshippers from all over Kentucky and beyond joined in–some folks traveled all the way from Singapore to join in, according to the Courier Journal. The Courier Journal also explains that the revival went viral on TikTok:

Videos of students participating in the nonstop prayer and worship service have made their way to social media, sparking international attention. As of Feb. 16, posts with the #AsburyRevival hashtag have generated 34.5 million views on TikTok.

But that's not the only thing that might be going viral. Anumita Kaur of The Washington Post reports that 20,000 folks who attended the revival might have been exposed to measles "after an unvaccinated worshiper was found to have the highly contagious virus that causes the illness." The Post further explains:

Thousands traveled across city, county and state lines to participate in what was called "the Asbury Revival," which stretched from Feb. 8 to Feb. 19 at the university's chapel. Videos shared on TikTok and Instagram showed people praying, holding hands and crying to worship music. The gathering drew national attention to the small Christian school, located about 30 minutes from Lexington.

The CDC doesn't currently know how many people have caught the measles from the event, but, according to CBS News, the CDC is: 

urging doctors to "be on high alert for measles symptoms" among people who attended the gathering and is actively working with Kentucky authorities to search for additional cases.

And The Washington Post adds more information:

"Anyone who attended the revival on Feb. 18 may have been exposed to measles," said state public health commissioner Steven Stack. "Attendees who are unvaccinated are encouraged to quarantine for 21 days and to seek immunization with the measles vaccine, which is safe and effective."