Yeah, Coachella is supposed to be a “life-changing experience,” but this kind of “life-changing” might not be what you had in mind when you bought that ticket. According to reports, there has been an outbreak of herpes at the popular music festival in southern California. Dr. Lynn Marie Morski from HerpAlert, an online herpes treatment service, told PEOPLE that they usually handle 12 herpes cases a day in southern California, but during the first two days of Coachella, that number skyrocketed to 250.
Photo: Canna Obscura/Shutterstock
Herpes Cases Skyrocketed at This Year’s Coachella
Throughout the duration of the festival, which began on April 12 and ended on April 21, 1,105 cases of herpes have been reported to HerpAlert from Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego County, Indio, Palm Desert, and Coachella Valley — all of which have been inundated with festival goers. Morski said that herpes symptoms typically appear days after infection, explaining why cases are relatively spread out and not simply limited to Coachella Valley.
The virus is transmitted either from oral or sexual contact and results in herpes on the afflicted areas that could potentially be lifelong infections. The Coachella outbreak topped HerpAlert’s previous record of reported cases when 60 cases were logged in a single day during Oscars weekend. 
H/T: Entertainment Weekly