A children's choir was performing. Then 8 were hospitalized with 'seizure like' symptoms.
The choir group, which included children aged 11 to 13, was performing at St. Paul Parish in Cambridge when some of them began experiencing the symptoms, John Gelinas, Cambridge Fire Department's media manager, confirmed to USA TODAY.
Officials responded to the church around 7:30 p.m. local time. All eight children were evaluated and treated on scene before being transported to local medical facilities with non-life-threatening injuries, Gelinas said.
About 70 other people in attendance at the concert were not affected, Gelinas said.
"We have no further update this morning on the conditions of the youths treated and transported," Gelinas said on July 23.
Cambridge Police also responded to the scene, according to Gelinas. USA TODAY has contacted the department.
More news: Maryland fire department floods baseball field
Hazmat teams tested church where 8 were hospitalized
After the incident, the concert attendants and the rest of the occupants inside the building left the scene with designated chaperones, Gelinas said.
Cambridge Fire's hazardous materials, also known as the hazmat team, "completed a thorough survey of the St. Paul buildings," Gelinas said.
Air sampling meters tested the building for hazardous conditions, but the results were negative. The buildings were ventilated, Gelinas said.
French youth choir was performing free concert before incident
St. Paul Parish, which is located in Harvard Square, said in a Facebook post that the Children's Choir of Île-de-France was performing a free concert on July 22.
The group was offering a free concert at the church as part of a U.S. tour, St. Paul's said.
"The concert will feature an exciting mix of sacred and secular repertoire, as well as popular French songs," the post said.
According to its website, the Children's Choir of Île-de-France was founded by French singer Francis Bardot.
USA TODAY has reached out to St. Paul Parish and the Children's Choir of Île-de-France.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
France registers a record 480 excess deaths during early summer heatwave
The early summer heatwave that affected 60 French departments between 19 June and 6 July led to a record 480 excess deaths, a rise of 5.5 percent compared to normal mortality levels, the country's public health agency has announced. People aged 75 and over accounted for almost all the excess deaths during the heatwave – 410 of those recorded in the affected areas, Public Health France said. It added that the "notably long and unusually early heatwave" had impacted nearly three-quarters of the population. This initial count will later be supplemented by an estimate of deaths specifically attributable to heat, to be included in a broader report due after 15 September, the agency noted. The calculation of excess mortality is based on all-cause death data collected from civil registry offices and transmitted by France's national statistics bureau Insee, compared with the expected number of deaths based on figures from the previous six years. What does 50C feel like? Touring 'heat chamber' allows French people to find out The region with the highest number of excess deaths was Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA), which covers the south east of the country. It saw at least 140 additional fatalities (representing a rise of 9.2 percent). Public Health France published a map of excess deaths by department but cautioned during a press briefing that a significant percentage increase in areas with small populations – and thus small absolute numbers – may not always be statistically meaningful. Three regions – Corsica, Hauts-de-France in the north of the country and Île-de-France, the region surrounding Paris – recorded no excess deaths during the heatwave period. The agency said that the figures underscore "the importance of implementing preventative measures to reduce the impact of heat, not only during heatwaves but throughout the summer". It stressed 'the need for a reinforced climate adaptation strategy at both national and local levels'. The agency also added that, according to its 2014-2023 data, 70 percent of heat-related deaths during the summer occurred outside officially declared heatwave days. Climate change pushed temperatures in latest European heatwave up by 4C (with AFP)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
From Crisis to Comeback: Mbappe's Health Scare Opens New Chapter
French star lost 6kg during Club World Cup illness—but could it actually benefit him? From Crisis to Comeback: Mbappe's Health Scare Opens New Chapter French superstar Kylian Mbappe faced severe health scare during the 2025 FIFA Club World cup but what seemed like setback may turn into unexpected advantage. While representing Real Madrid in the tournament held in the United States Mbappe was rushed to hospital with serious gastrointestinal infection. The illness left him exhausted and forced him to miss multiple games as he recovered under strict medical supervision. According to French outlet L'Equipe, the forward lost around 6 kilogram during the short illness period an observation fans quickly noticed once he returned to action with visibly leaner physique. Despite the alarming weight loss, Mbappe's recovery has been surprisingly quick & efficient thanks to physiological phenomenon known as "muscle memory". Well trained athletes like him can regain lost strength, speed and flexibility more rapidly after temporary decline in physical form. Not the First: Messi's 2014 Lesson Mbappe's case isn't unique. In 2014 Lionel Messi experienced similar struggles due to poor dietary habits. Spanish media revealed that Messi consumed double cheese pizza after games. His form dipped and Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'or that year. Messi then turned to Italian nutritionist Giuliano Poser , cut out sugar and soda and lost over 3kg in 2015. He bounced back in prime form and reclaimed the Ballon d'Or.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Your Attention Is Being Sold: 4 Strategies To Protect It
New data underscores the booming business of attention—with advertising spend outpacing consumer ... More spend. Feeling increasingly distracted? New data suggests it's not in your head. According to PwC, global entertainment and media revenues are projected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2029. What's fueling growth? Buying and selling attention. The report highlights that advertising spend is projected to grow three times faster than consumer spend (6.1% vs 2% CAGR). When companies are willing to pay a cost per click, the world is designed to distract - and that design is profitable. Distraction isn't a personal flaw. In 2025, when attention is more commoditized than ever, the smarter move is to prepare for distraction—and sharpen strategies for when it inevitably happens. Attention: Profitable for Companies. Costly for Consumers. Consumer focus is incredibly valuable - to companies. Just as an example, Meta's 2025 revenue, over $164 billion across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and more, comes largely from ads. But what these platforms really monetize is time and attention. As a result, if attention is profitable for companies, it is costly for people in ways that add up: Lost Productivity: Research aggregated by UC Berkeley shows it can take between 8 and 23 minutes to return to deep focus after an interruption. What does this mean? Getting distracted three times in a day, even if briefly, could mean an hour of overall lost productivity. Mental Health: Studies link frequent phone connection to poor sleep quality and higher stress. Addiction: Reports suggest that it can take just 30–35 minutes of scrolling on TikTok to trigger addictive patterns. As Dr. Thekla Brumder Ross, clinical psychologist, addiction and well-being expert, shared in a Zoom interview, 'The average American spends 12 hours a day on a screen… it's rewiring our dopamine reinforcement loops. And there is no current criteria in the DSM-5 for general technology addiction." Decreased Joy: Time away from phones, especially in motion, has been tied to higher life satisfaction. Small pockets of disconnection matter. Attention Management: Four Strategies to Sharpen Focus What can you do? One tactic is simply disabling alerts; a 2025 Reuters analysis found 43% of respondents turned off news notifications. However, in work and life total disconnection is rarely possible and platforms will continue innovating ways to pursue attention. Better than unplugging is a plan: build a deliberate playbook to manage connection and handle distraction. Here are four strategies to do exactly that: At least once a day take a 5-10 minute phone-free walk. Use the time for social connection or simply enjoy your own thoughts, not someone else's. Try this: When you go get coffee, swing by a coworker's desk, or step outside, leave the phone behind at least once next week. Use your phone to help manage your focus. Try This: Go beyond 'Do Not Disturb' by programming focus modes by day, time and app for different work and life scenarios. For example, if you prioritize deep work from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Wednesdays but still need to be reachable for family or a key client, you can program a mode that allows only those calls and blocks social apps. As new scenarios arise, take 30 seconds to create a focus mode for it so you are ready next time. Brumder Ross recommends a strategy called 'Release the Grip' to promote intentional phone use. Try This: Instead of grabbing your device, place your palm gently on top of it, turn it face up and ask, 'What do I need in this moment?' This is a self-compassion check. Maybe you need to knock out a few transactional tasks. Maybe you don't. Maybe you simply need to write a note and handle it later. The question interrupts the impulse to scroll and clarifies intent. Every notification creates an opening. First Slack, then LinkedIn, then the pull to check one more thing. Instagram. Being reachable isn't just about responsiveness. It's about attention - and how easily it gets redirected. As a result, managing distraction means managing expectations. 'No one is going to communicate your boundaries for you. You have to do that,' Brumder Ross says. Try This: Clarify when you're reachable and how. Use tools people actually check: calendar blocks, Slack statuses or away messages like 'Heads down until 2:00 p.m., back after.' However, setting the boundary isn't enough - you have to enforce it. If you respond during focus time, you're signaling that you're available. Particularly for anyone leading a team or managing others, modeling how you manage your focus offers permission for others to do the same. Companies Have a Strategy for Your Attention. Create Your Own. The attention economy is only getting louder. However, as Brumder Ross highlights, 'You can't control what the tech companies do, but you can control where you put your attention." The news cycle will not slow. Work will not pause. Connection is part of modern life. However, you may not have to fight the current or disengage completely. The key takeaway is to simply have strategies for managing distraction and engaging with technology on your terms. Reclaiming focus isn't about perfection. It's about practice - and power.
