COVID-19: Can you get coronavirus at a swimming centre or is it too hot?
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Publicly released:
2020-03-31 02:00
Chinese scientists, in a research letter, have pointed out that SARS-CoV-2 may still be able to spread in warm and humid conditions, such as those found in swimming centres, after a clustered case of infections were linked to a public facility which contained a swimming pool, showers, and sauna. Previous reports have suggested that the virus doesn't do well in hot and humid conditions, but the researchers suggest this is likely wrong, as this cluster of 8 individuals, all used or worked in the bath center and experienced symptoms within days of visiting the centre. The bath centre's temperatures ranged from 25°C to 41°C.
Journal/conference: JAMA Network Open
Link to research (DOI): 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4583
Organisation/s: Nanjing Medical University, China
Funder: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, with award 81772585 to DrWang, award 81972739 to Dr Luo, and award 81972738 to Dr Zhang and the Key Laboratory Projects of Huai’an, with award HAP201804 to DrWang and award HAP201910 to Dr Zhang.
Media Release
From: JAMA
Investigating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Public Bath Center in China
JAMA Network Open
Research Letter
Possible Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a Public Bath Center in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, China
What The Study Did: This case series reports a cluster-spreading event in Huai’an (about 435 miles northeast of Wuhan) in Jiangsu Province, China, where a patient with SARS-CoV-2 may have transmitted the virus to eight other healthy individuals through bathing in a public bath center.
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