UAE: How safe are swimming pools when it comes to COVID-19 transmission?

UAE: How safe are swimming pools when it comes to COVID-19 transmission?

Dubai: Swimming pools are safe from COVID-19 transmission, provided people follow the guidelines laid out by health authorities in their respective emirates, according to health care experts. Allaying public fears of using sanitised pools amid the pandemic, Dr Payal Modi, specialist medical microbiologist and chairperson of infection control at the NMC Royal hospital, Dubai said: "Pools are regularly sanitised and disinfected as per municipality guidelines for not just COVID-19 but other microbes and bacteria that are waterborne and can be transmitted to those swimming. In the UAE, as per the municipality guidelines, all pools are checked for their PH levels and disinfected with chlorine, which is a strong disinfectant that can destroy or inactivate the SARS COV 2 virus within 30 seconds. People are instructed not to spit or cough in pools, but in case this happens, all bacteria and viruses are destroyed as soon as it touches the water surface, which contains 1-2 parts per million (PPM) chlorine as per the municipal guidelines. Chlorine is what we use to disinfect COVID-19 wards in hospitals too. Therefore, there is no danger of transmission of COVID-19 through swimming pools.“ Dr Mohammad Rafique, medical director of Prime Healthcare and specialist pulmonologist, said,