The world is experiencing an unusual situation today with the emergence of this new coronavirus. Everyone talks about it, health experts give various recommendations for people’s routines, such as social distancing and isolation of infected individuals, and the media also covers the subject daily. However, when we look at the universe of pools, several doubts remain unanswered, because naturally, the majority of the population is concerned with more trivial aspects of the disease.
I have been receiving requests for clarification regarding the coronavirus in the pool through our fan page and even from one of the supporters of our crowdfunding campaign. They basically asked me the following:
Does the coronavirus spread in the pool?
To speak a little more in-depth about the subject, I decided to answer by writing this publication that you are going to read… So, if you want to know if you can use the pool during the coronavirus pandemic, if it is possible to transmit the coronavirus in the pool, and other questions of this kind, today’s text is for you!
What is this so-called Coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a family of viruses that affects our lives mainly by causing respiratory infections. Simple like that!
The current pandemic is caused by Covid-19, the name given to the newest virus discovered in this family that also gives its name to the disease caused by it.
Symptoms of Covid-19 infection
The main symptoms of the infection caused by this viral family are respiratory. Among them, we can mention:
- Sore throat;
- Dry cough;
- Fever;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Pneumonia, etc.
Although these are the main symptoms, in rare cases, the new coronavirus can also cause loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, loss of smell and taste.
Transmission of the new Coronavirus
Transmission of Covid-19 normally occurs when a person comes into contact with contaminated secretions.
Oh! So it’s just not sharing utensils, right?
Absolutely not! It is necessary to understand that there is a world that we do not see with the naked eye. Saliva droplets inevitably come out of all of us.
When we sneeze, cough, and even when we breathe, the air we normally release is full of saliva particles.
It is precisely for this reason that, if you are infected, you cannot even breathe close to other unprotected people.
THAT’S WHERE MASKS COME IN!
And the transmission goes even further! When you prevent droplets from coming out by covering your mouth with your hand or a mask while sneezing, the surface that comes into contact with the sneeze (the hand or mask) will be completely contaminated. Under these conditions, a simple handshake can infect the other person, after all, how many times a day do you touch your face? Several, right?
As if that weren’t enough, contact with contaminated objects or surfaces also causes the virus to spread when followed by contact with the mouth, nose, or eyes.
AND THAT’S WHERE HAND SANITIZER COMES IN!
Now that you understand how the disease works, how about we talk about the relationship between coronavirus and swimming pools?
CAN I SWIM WITH CORONAVIRUS?
CAN I CATCH CORONAVIRUS FROM SOMEONE IN MY POOL?
DOES POOL WATER TRANSMIT CORONAVIRUS?
The Coronavirus in the pool
Let’s start by answering the last question…
The pool water can transmit Covid-19!
If the pool has inadequate treatment, you can catch the infection caused by Coronavirus just as you can catch a series of other diseases and infections.
The idea to avoid diseases in the pool also applies to Coronavirus.
If you don’t know how to properly clean the pool, let’s go…
How to eliminate the new Coronavirus from the pool?
To make the pool water healthy, and therefore free from the Covid-19 infection, the first recommendation is to adjust the chemical parameters of the pool. They are:
- The pH of the pool, which should always be around 7.4;
- The Total Alkalinity of the pool, which should be around 100 PPM;
- The free chlorine in the pool, which should always remain between 2 or 3 PPM.
By adjusting these three parameters, the pool will be perfectly free of Covid-19.
However, it is important to remember that cleaning the pool is not only about the chemical balance of the water. It is done through three pillars that you can see here in the site’s sidebar: filtration, circulation, and disinfection.
In practice, it is necessary to perform the chemical treatment, according to the parameters already mentioned, but also the entire process that involves the physical treatment of the pool. Among the main points of this process, it is worth noting the need to keep the filter running for the time that the manufacturer determines.
The manufacturer of your filter should determine how many hours per day you should filter the pool, okay?
What else can I do to eliminate Covid-19 from the pool?
Auxiliary disinfection systems are extremely useful for keeping the pool 100% safe. Among the main ones, I can mention the ultraviolet disinfection system, the ozone generator, the chlorine generator, or even the ionizer.
In addition to these equipment that facilitate cleaning, you can apply a shock oxidizer weekly to eliminate any trace of organic matter that may have come into contact with the pool. In practice, this type of product promotes shock treatment without the use of chlorine.
If the pool is clean, won’t I catch Covid-19?
Here’s some frustrating news…
YOU WILL!
Think with me… You don’t arrive at the pool in an astronaut suit, right?
In other words: you don’t catch Covid-19 through the pool water (because it kills the virus!), but you do catch it if you’re swimming close to someone. Remember the saliva droplets we always release when we breathe? That’s it!
And if I swim alone, can I be infected with Covid-19?
Here’s another frustrating news…
yes, yOU CAN!
Think about it… You may be alone in the pool area, but who guarantees that someone infected didn’t touch the pool ladder? Who guarantees that the pool railing was disinfected after the last users left?
It’s important to keep in mind that in addition to saliva droplets, we can catch Covid-19 by touching contaminated surfaces.
That’s why the recommendation is social distancing, hand hygiene with soap and water, and the use of alcohol gel to disinfect surfaces that may be contaminated.
Ready to swim without fear of Covid-19?
The idea is that we all do our part so that no one is contaminated. With this text, I hope that you have understood the real importance of the protection measures adopted by governments in various countries and that it has become clear that, although you do not catch the virus in the pool, the communal environment can represent a risk to everyone’s health during the pandemic.
Answering the questions in the title, if it is still not clear…
Can you catch Coronavirus in the pool?
YES!
Does Coronavirus transmit in the pool?
YES!
Is it possible to catch COVID-19 while swimming?
YES!
If you have any doubts regarding Covid-19 in the pool, leave them for us in the comment section below. The community is always ready to discuss and debate on any kind of subject related to pools.
Despite the busy life at Agência Sete Clave and my other projects, I continue to balance all the plates and respond to the comments here whenever possible, okay?
If you liked it and want to thank me for my work, don’t forget that we have a crowdfunding campaign starting to take its first steps. You can participate, but only if you want!
Big hug and see you next time!
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