The summer of 2020 will be, without a doubt, marked by this new normal established to stop the uncontrolled expansion of SARS-CoV-2. After hard months of confinement and strong restrictions on mobility, we all want to enjoy and make up for that lost time, but always doing it responsibly and with all precautions. The health authorities do not stop repeating it: the virus has not gone away, and we must not lower our guard if we want to avoid the collapse of health systems and return to total confinement.
Is there a higher risk of catching COVID-19 on the beach? At the beginning of May, a team of CSIC researchers prepared, at the request of the Ministry of Health, a report that summarizes the state of knowledge about the risk of transmission of the new coronavirus on beaches and swimming pools and issues a series of recommendations in this regard.
One of the main conclusions of the work is that, since the main route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in beaches, rivers, lakes and swimming pools is through respiratory secretions that are generated with coughing and sneezing and contact with person to person, the general recommendations regarding any other space should be maintained.
Furthermore, as the researcher at the Institute for Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC) Joan Grimalt explains: “In sea water the possibility of contagion is practically nil due to various reasons. The first is that coronaviruses have a low survival rate in water, in any type of water. Therefore, the probability of contagion in this environment is already very low. And secondly, seawater is salty and salt has been shown to be capable of destroying SARS-CoV-2 as well. The combination of these two factors makes it extremely difficult to get infected when swimming in the sea ”.
As we have already mentioned, the greatest precautions should be taken when we are out of the water. Despite the fact that this year measures have been taken to limit the capacity and guarantee the maintenance of physical distance, the beaches are places that tend to concentrate large crowds during the hot months. “This year we must put a lot of emphasis on maintaining distances between groups, and by groups I mean families who live together, not groups of friends. Meeting people to sit together on the beach is not a good idea ”, explains the scientist, who has also participated in the preparation of the aforementioned report.
And the mask? Do you have to put it on? Again, common sense and follow the same recommendations that apply to other open spaces: “If you meet an acquaintance and you come to say hello, you should put on the mask,” explains Grimalt. “Another thing is that you are sunbathing in your space conveniently separated from the rest of the groups, there obviously you can be without it because you are keeping your distance”.
No need to disinfect the sand
During these months we have received news of municipalities that applied disinfection measures on the sand of some beaches, a practice that also has environmental risks.
“Although there are no studies on the prevalence of viruses in sand present on beaches or banks, the joint action of salt in seawater, ultraviolet solar radiation and the high temperature that sand can reach, are favorable for the inactivation of pathogens ”, is explained in one of the report’s conclusions. “It is not recommended to disinfect the floors of natural spaces with the usual procedures for urban public spaces. Any form of disinfection of the beach sand must be respectful with the environment ”.
Rivers, pools, reservoirs … a more complicated issue
In inland areas it is very common for people to go to bathe in rivers, pools and reservoirs, but at this point the experts are not so clear that bathing is 100% safe. As explained in the report, “studies conducted with other coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 have shown that the viruses remain temporarily infectious in natural freshwater environments, including lakes and streams .” This survival also depends on highly variable factors such as the temperature of the water or the level of organic matter.
It is true that, as we have commented before, the virus is not very resistant to water, whatever the type. “This is a positive point, since it is quite unlikely that there is contagion in the water”, explains Grimalt, “but the risk will be very variable depending on the place. In places where there is a current of water there will be a certain dilution, although it is not as high as in sea water. But if we are, for example, swimming in a pool or in some area of stagnant water and a person with the virus comes next to us… there we can no longer be so sure that there is no risk ”.
Due to all this, one of the report’s recommendations is precisely to avoid bathing in these places and to prioritize the use of pools with treated water. The competent authorities in each case are in charge of deciding whether to prohibit bathing in rivers and pools, taking extreme precautions in the event that they are kept open to ensure that distances in the outdoor area are respected and the number of bathers is controlled. . “ In particular, special attention should be paid to small pools of still fresh water that can be frequented by a high number of bathers that can lead to a possible accumulation of the virus. These aquatic environments are the most inadvisable for recreational use compared to other alternatives. ”, It is indicated in the document.
