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article_detail
Date Published: 07/05/2020
ARCHIVED - Investigators believe the transmission of Covid-19 in swimming pools and on beaches is very unlikely
At the moment beaches are only for walking on until 25th May
The weather is warming up and thoughts are turning to summer pursuits, but for the moment beaches are closed to sunbathers.
On Thursday the director of the Emergency Coordination Centre of the Ministry of Health, Fernando Simón, answered questions about the regulation of the beaches during his daily press briefing relating to the number of Covid cases, and acknowledged that there is a document circulating around the ministries at the moment relating to new regulations for the beaches, although he himself was unsure as to what stage of preparation this had reached.
This summer safety and hygiene are likely to be the top concerns of summer tourists and tourism authorities across Spain are keen to ensure that visitors feel safe and protected at all times during their holiday break.
Beaches are closed until 25th May and the government is preparing a new document establishing protocols to be followed relating to the regulation of beaches this summer, and research is underway to better understand how contagious the virus will be during a Mediterranean summer and whether holidaymakers on the beach will still be at risk from Covid-19.
Today researchers from the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) published a report compiling information about the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, in relation to bathing and aquatic activities.
They warn that the large number of people in these spaces can be a focus of contagion, but point out that contagion in the aquatic environment "is very unlikely" and that the characteristics of beaches can reduce the risk of contagion.
One of the main points of concern for the authorities is whether the virus can be spread should Covid-positives sit on the beach this coming summer, about which the CSIC says, "although there are no experimental studies in this regard, the combined action of seawater salt, solar ultraviolet radiation and the high temperatures are favourable for the inactivation of pathogens. It is also emphasized that any form of disinfection of the beach sand must be respectful with the environment and its disinfection is not recommended with the usual procedures for urban public spaces, "they say (this is in response to the uproar caused when the beach of Zahara de los Atunes in Cadiz was disinfected with bleach).
In relation to water sports activities, they say, infection by contact with water from standard bathing conditions is "very unlikely, however, these activities generally involve a loss of the recommended measures of social distancing," they warn.
In swimming pools and spas, they indicate that the use of disinfecting agents "is widely implemented" in order to avoid microbial contamination of the waters by a number of users. Thus, they believe that this measure "should be sufficient for the inactivation of the virus."
What happens in saunas?
"The aerosols generated in a spa or in a medicinal water installation will have the same disinfection characteristics as the bath waters of these facilities. In those cases in which the environment of the facilities is maintained at elevated temperatures, as in the case of saunas and steam baths, it is expected that, due to the high temperature (greater than 60 ºC), the survival of the virus will be reduced, "they add.
Regarding sea water, although they state that "currently there is no data on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2", the dilution effect, as well as the presence of salt, "are factors that probably contribute to a decrease in the viral load and its inactivation by analogy to what happens with similar viruses. "
Bathing in rivers is inadvisable
"However, the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in rivers, lakes, freshwater and untreated water is superior compared to swimming pools and salt water and therefore, precautionary measures should be taken to avoid agglomerations, these being the most inadvisable aquatic means in relation to other alternatives ", they add.
Remember: LOCKDOWN MEANS LOCKDOWN. STAY AT HOME. STAY SAFE AND DO YOUR BIT TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS.
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