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“I want the entire pool scrubbed, sterilized and disinfected!”

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Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday that using swimming pools during the coronavirus pandemic is not a good idea – with a gross-out reason as to why.

“IDPH does regulate pools, and if we want to get into the different microbes that exist within pools – different swimming pools – we can do that. But definitely, the practice of obviously being in a swimming pool, unfortunately, we do know that there is some fecal shedding of this coronavirus,” Ezike said, barely able to stop herself from laughing as she did so.

There are other reasons that swimming pools should not be opened for now, Ezike said.

“You would have locker rooms with which people would need to change, so you would have more people congregated in the same setting, so for a myriad of reasons, that wouldn’t be conducive to promoting social distancing and decreasing community spread,” Ezike said.

That last part turns out to be the most important (and it’s a critical reason not to allow public pool use right now) because the first part doesn’t quite match up to the CDC’s guidelines.

* Fecal shedding…

The virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in the feces of some patients diagnosed with COVID-19. However, it is unclear whether the virus found in feces may be capable of causing COVID-19. There has not been any confirmed report of the virus spreading from feces to a person. Scientists also do not know how much risk there is that the virus could be spread from the feces of an infected person to another person. However, they think this risk is low based on data from previous outbreaks of diseases caused by related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

* Can the virus be spread in pools?…

There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water.

While there is ongoing community spread of COVID-19 of the virus that causes COVID-19, it is important for individuals as well as owners and operators of these facilities to take steps to ensure health and safety:

Everyone should follow local and state guidance that may determine when and how recreational water facilities may operate.

Individuals should continue to protect themselves and others at recreational water venues both in and out of the water – for example, by practicing social distancing and good hand hygiene.

In addition to ensuring water safety and quality, owners and operators of community pools, hot tubs, spas, and water play areas should follow the interim guidance for businesses and employers for cleaning and disinfecting their community facilities.

Headline explained here.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:47 am

Comments

I’ll put our local city pool’s cleanliness up against some of the major water parks around my area any day of the week.

Yes, I know they have more bathers, also more money and staff for sanitation.

Comment by efudd Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:53 am
Call Spangler’s Landscaping and Pool Service.

Comment by efudd Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:55 am
Everybody out of the pool.

Comment by Generic Drone Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:58 am
Grabbed a cup of coffee. Turned on my computer and click on Capitol Fax and what do I see? A line from Judge Smails and Caddyshack. Thanks Rich, I needed the laugh.

Comment by Big Jer Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:58 am
Not opening pools makes sense for reasons given. In addition to community pools many apartment complexes and condo communities have pools the costs of which are factored into the rent and HO fees, however. People should expect some sort of rebate for these unusable amenities but probably can’t count on it.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:58 am
“(including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water”

In the water, not injected or ingested to disinfect lungs. Lysol had to issue a warning.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 9:59 am
” ‘Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.’ So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.”

Comment by Montrose Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:02 am
I was always a pond guy myself… natural spring….

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:04 am
Explains why “Caddy Day” was from “1-1:15 pm“

It’s quite important to know as much as we can to the spread and how to prevent it, but Dr. Ezike probably spoke for all of us for just a brief nanosecond…

===barely able to stop herself from laughing as she did so.===

… and you can’t blame her, others it appears are pushing odd ways to fight the virus. So with honesty, and a slight bit of a nod to the absurd to ensure truth is out there, it’s surreal to say the least.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:05 am
Amy Jacobson - “You’ll keep me out of the pool over her dead body!”

Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:09 am
I owe Dr. Ngozi Ezike an apology for a post yesterday. I misread her quote about regulating pools. She was right. Evidently, I’m spending too much time on the monitor and seeing things that didn’t exist.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:13 am
But Bill Murray ate it

Comment by Eire17 Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:21 am
Can mosquitoes transmit it?

Comment by Some Anonymous Dude (S.A.D.) Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:25 am
Given all the “unlikely” things we’re learning about this Corona and Covid-19 (1), I’d rather Dr. Ezike and everyone else err on the side of safety with regards to fecal shedding (2).

If you’re desperate to get into a pool, you might have to make do with a kiddy pool or cow tank (3,4).

(1). Read an article yesterday that says in some folks, particularly younger patients, Covid-19 seems to set off blood clotting disorders. That’s why an actor had to have an amputation last week, and in autopsies they are finding Covid-19 patient lungs filled not with the fluid you expect in pneumonia, but rather blood clots blocking air sacs. (Which may also explain high fatality rates for vent patients.)

(2). Rich, in your wildest dreams, did you ever think “fecal shedding” would be a topic here, much less a multi-day topic?

(3). When I was a kid, we would swim in a cow tank when we visited one of my aunts. The only livestock she raised were chickens and quail.

(4). Do I win any sort of prize for most footnotes in a post, on a per-word/per-footnote basis?

Comment by Lynn S. Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:29 am
“Here it is. It’s no big deal.”–Carl Spackler

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:37 am
===But Bill Murray ate it ===
Chocolate candy bars were less appealing for awhile after seeing that movie.

Comment by Been There Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:38 am
there’s no P in -OOL….

Comment by Amalia Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:43 am
Doodie (banned punctuation). Now I have a hankering for a Baby Ruth.

Comment by Steve Rogers Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:45 am
Pretty sure I could have happily lived the rest of my life with no knowledge related to the concept of fecal shedding. Or even reading those words, or understanding what they mean.

Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:47 am
“But Bill Murray ate it

In the movie Fast Food Nation, Bruce Willis said we all have to eat it from time to time.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 10:53 am
Carl’s approach to the gopher involved better reasoning, planning, and risk assessment than Trump’s injectable suggestion.

Comment by Rich Hill Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 11:09 am
So you’re telling me the poo in the pool is OK?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 11:12 am
==So you’re telling me the poo in the pool is OK?==

Wait till you find out what’s in lake or ocean water.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 11:24 am
11:24 was me. sorry.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 11:26 am
So the pools are one thing. And it’s very gross to have that spelled out.

But can we also talk about the fact that meat processors discipline their workers for missing a piece a meat - if they cover their mouth/nose while sneezing or coughing?

“But as the coronavirus pandemic has emerged, workers say they have encountered another health complication: reluctance to cover their mouths while coughing or to clean their faces after sneezing, because this can cause them to miss a piece of meat as it goes by, creating a risk of disciplinary action.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/business/economy/coronavirus-smithfield-meat.html

We treat people like such garbage. Even when they are *making the food we eat*.

Comment by lakeside Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 12:09 pm
Having worked at a public pool in HS as a lifeguard and doing maintenance.

We would climb into the filters to facilitate the backwashing of the filters and had one of the only chlorine gas systems in the state.

He ain’t wrong.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 12:09 pm
We should all get disinfectant shots before swimming in a pool.

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 12:53 pm
There may be an additional delay in pools opening when a certain sector of the population begins hoarding pool chemicals for personal use. However, the subsequent use will limit future demand from that sector.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 1:04 pm
… or as Sheldon more recently put it, “We may be dealing with “befoulment on a molecular level”.

Comment by Hieronymus Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 1:09 pm
Spaulding NOOOO!!

Comment by 411 Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 1:11 pm
I consider this post nothing more than an effort to get people to ban themselves with innocent responses.

Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 1:25 pm
One of the best scenes in movie history.

Comment by Boone's is Back Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 1:41 pm
Proper levels of pool chlorine would eradicate the virus immediately; this is unjustified fear mongering. We have exhaustive and multi-decade experience with public pools: a pool-related bacterial or viral outbreak is near unheard of even given the thousand of swimmers who use them and their numerous unhygienic habits….not to mention the numbers of babies in diapers in them! (It’s why we put chlorine in!—and it works!)

Comment by Jeph Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 3:24 pm
Great headline, Rich. Thanks for the laugh!

Comment by Checkers Friday, Apr 24, 20 @ 3:28 pm