Pool water, added with chlorine, can inactivate the coronavirus in just 30 seconds: a study byImperial College of London, commissioned by Swim England, the British government agency for water sports, from the swimming school for babies Water Babies and from Royal Life Saving Society UK. The risk of transmission, therefore, in the pool is really low.
The research, led by virologist Wendy Barclay and researcher Jonathan Brown, examined the effects of chlorinated water on the virus, to assess the amount of time, the different concentrations of chlorine and the conditions required to inactivate the virus.
The results show that 1.5 milligrams of chlorine per liter, with a pH between 7 and 7.2 (as recommended by the guidelines for swimming facilities), they reduce the infectivity of the virus by more than 1000 times within 30 seconds. Further tests confirmed that chlorine in pool water is more effective at a lower pH.
“By mixing the virus with the pool water that the team gave us Water Babies, we were able to show that the virus does not survive in chlorinated water, “explained Wendy Barclay ofImperial College. ‘This, coupled with the enormous dilution of the virus that could enter a pool through an infected person, suggests that the possibility of contracting Covid-19 from chlorinated water is negligible“. And again: «Swimming pools can be safe and protected environments, if appropriate measures are taken».
But when will the pools reopen? In Italy, the month scheduled for reopening is May, but for gyms and swimming pools we will still have to wait, and the green light could be given in the course of the summer. The Technical Scientific Committee has already established the rules for safe reopening: the crowding density in the tank is calculated with an index of 7 sqm of water surface per person. Managers must privilege access with reservation and, where possible, provide signs to facilitate movement, flow management and compliance with the rules. The spacing must be two meters.
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