How safe do you think swimming pools really are?

loveyouradvice · 2021-04-15T18:59:33+00:00

Just that really ... local gym opened up again - I went in enthusiastically and with 12 of us in three lanes in a quite a small pool I felt rather wary. Is it safe? And what's the impact of chlorine and little ventilation?

DobbyTheHouseElk · 15/04/2021 20:02

I’d love to know. I’m not going back til I’ve been vaccinated.

In the water the chlorine will kill anything, but the walk to the changing room and using the lockers/cubicle worry me. In our pool the changing village has zero ventilation. Ditto the pool. You can’t wear a mask when you’ve got out of a pool dripping wet. It bothers me.

SummerHouse · 15/04/2021 20:06

I discovered a code brown in a pool before they closed. Sadly I discovered it with my foot. Why it didn't float, I will never know. This didn't stop me going back and covid fear certainly won't.

LucilleTheVampireBat · 15/04/2021 20:09

@SummerHouse

I discovered a code brown in a pool before they closed. Sadly I discovered it with my foot. Why it didn't float, I will never know. This didn't stop me going back and covid fear certainly won't.

🤣

Of all the things to be found in public swimming pools, catching covid would be the last thing I'd worry about!

VioletCharlotte · 15/04/2021 20:11

I read an article about this earlier the week, I can't remember where or I'd link to it. In tests, scientists found that swimming pool water inactivated COVID within 30 seconds.

zzizzer · 15/04/2021 20:11

I have never understood how it's safe. The chlorine in the water might kill germs off there but surely everyone exhales above and around it?

loulouljh · 15/04/2021 20:12

it will be fine.

Cipot · 15/04/2021 20:12

Why do I pick up colds so easily after swimming then? I'm not going yet.

Hellocatshome · 15/04/2021 20:16

My son has been back at swimming since Monday 2 hours a day, they go with their swimming things under their clothes, quick strip off at pool side and into the pool. If you are all conscious about keeping your distance you can stay 2 metres apart and still have about 5 per lane. Masks on as soon as they get out and quickly towel dry 1 per cubicle and clothes back on top of still damp but not dripping body, dash home then get showered/dried properly.

DenisetheMenace · 15/04/2021 20:19

I wouldn’t be worried about chlorinated water and most pools have really high ceilings and are quite airy in spite of the humidity. Wouldn’t go into changing rooms without both jabs though.

6thFormCircleofHell · 15/04/2021 20:23

@zzizzer

I have never understood how it's safe. The chlorine in the water might kill germs off there but surely everyone exhales above and around it?

This is true. The air quality in most swimming pools is terrible - very high chemical levels as adequate air conditioning is very expensive and most pools just recycle the internal air without swapping the internal air with enough fresh outside air (it costs money to heat it up, so that is an expense that they try to minimise).

Wakeupin2022 · 15/04/2021 20:24

Very

HermioneWeasley · 15/04/2021 20:27

Completely.

Covid is transmitted by close and prolonged person to person contact indoors which is unlikely in a pool. Also chlorine kills the virus.

poppycat10 · 15/04/2021 20:28

I went swimming between lockdowns and it felt "safe" enough to me. The chlorine kills anything in the pool (and if you are like me and swallow half the pool, anything you've breathed in, too). We didn't use the changing rooms afterwards so were only around for as long as it took to get some clothes on quickly afterwards.

Ventilation was rubbish though, it has to be said. The doors were kept closed.

You can't think too much about swimming pools, they are disgusting.

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 15/04/2021 20:30

I swam every day in an indoor pool right through autumn until lockdown in Jan. 8 of us in 2 lanes. I figured that if I was going to get it, it would be there. I work in a school, so I was probably the biggest issue there.

LilyPond2 · 15/04/2021 20:30

As with any indoor space, if you are there at the same time as (or not long after) someone who is infectious with Covid, you may catch Covid. Obviously, if you've been vaccinated (at least 2 weeks ago) that significantly reduces your risk of contracting Covid (or becoming seriously ill if you do). Given that Covid rates in most of the UK are pretty low at present, in most areas the likelihood of you encountering someone with Covid is pretty low. I would suggest having a look at the government's map of cases to see what Covid rates are like in the area where your gym is.

lljkk · 15/04/2021 20:34

I'm not scared of covid making me ill so that must bias my views.

There were 7 or 8 in my lane today. We kept apart except when splashing thru the anti-microbial soup past each other. There's a lot less socialising than we had in 'normal' times. People stay 2m apart in Q & change 2m apart & leave at different times out a variety of doors.

Finally our changing rooms are available after swim but most swimmers seem to get changed & leave straight from poolside.

I know there's fresh air circulating at our pool because sometimes birds are flying around under the rafters. The bird(s) find own way back outside eventually.

CherryJane · 15/04/2021 23:49

A friend in the Bristol area can book a whole lane ro herself for 30 minutes. Sadly by me they're packing 4 to a lane in with no overtaking or lane changing allowed.

I want what my friend has. I've missed swimming so much but not wanting to be stuck with a pile up of people pissed off behind me or me pissed off behind someone else going at a different pace. I'd happily pay a bit more for my own lane for 30 minutes.

DrunkenKoala · 16/04/2021 07:35

I swam and DD had swimming lessons between lockdowns 1&2.
At our pool (council run) when we arrived we entered through one door and leave through another, and there was a one way system in place which everyone stuck to.
We were given our own changing cubicles and lockers which were well spaced out and only ours to use during the session and cleaned afterwards.
I swam in the main pool, it was split into two lanes with a maximum of 8 in each lane.

DD’s lessons were in the teaching pool, only four children and their parent per lesson so again we’ll spaced out, the teacher was on the side.
Both DD and I are back to swimming next week and we’re looking forward to it. I know it’s not 100% safe as the virus is airborne but we try to wear masks as much as possible (obviously not in the pool) and hand sanitizer when we’ve touched door handles etc.

Swim England put this article out on Monday if anyone’s interested

www.swimming.org/swimengland/swimming-pool-water-inactivates-covid19-virus/

profpoopsnagle · 16/04/2021 13:48

I restarted swimming as soon as pools opened again- all 3 times.

It's more than safe enough for me, but I am of the ilk that nothing in life is completely safe, and I am a teacher, so IMO my biggest risk is very likely to be at work. If I have to work in a risky-ish environment, then I sure am going to do the stuff I'd like to do in a risky-ish environment.

Thankfully, they have opened up showers at the pool and it's been nice this week, chatting to the other ladies in the changing room.

Pre-Covid, I always felt that swimming at my local council pool gave my immune system a boost! All those people, all those germs.

itsgettingwierd · 16/04/2021 13:55

@VioletCharlotte

I read an article about this earlier the week, I can't remember where or I'd link to it. In tests, scientists found that swimming pool water inactivated COVID within 30 seconds.

Swim england commissioned a private investigation and they've released this on their website.

itsgettingwierd · 16/04/2021 13:57

@Hellocatshome

My son has been back at swimming since Monday 2 hours a day, they go with their swimming things under their clothes, quick strip off at pool side and into the pool. If you are all conscious about keeping your distance you can stay 2 metres apart and still have about 5 per lane. Masks on as soon as they get out and quickly towel dry 1 per cubicle and clothes back on top of still damp but not dripping body, dash home then get showered/dried properly.

Mines been back in 2 hours a day too!

They don't even use the changing rooms! In in dry robes and out the same. Very few wear clothes and just dry and out them on top poolside.

My car stinks of chlorine again after just 5 days

bookworm1632 · 16/04/2021 13:57

@HermioneWeasley

Completely.

Covid is transmitted by close and prolonged person to person contact indoors which is unlikely in a pool. Also chlorine kills the virus.

What utter nonsense!

itsgettingwierd · 16/04/2021 13:59

Ahhh bookworm you may want to read the scientific report that says otherwise. Link is above

bookworm1632 · 16/04/2021 14:01

The risk in a swimming pool is going to be similar to any other indoor environment of a similar size with a similar number of people working out. So compable to gyms for example. The water is not going to add any risk due to the chlorine content.

If the building is ventilated or has the right kind of air conditioning it reduces the risk significantly.

The biggest factor will be the number of local cases - at present the chance of an infected person actually being in a small group using a pool is very low - if that ever changes, then the risk of using the pool will rise.

seanceinterrupted · 16/04/2021 14:01

@VioletCharlotte

I read an article about this earlier the week, I can't remember where or I'd link to it. In tests, scientists found that swimming pool water inactivated COVID within 30 seconds.

I read the same paper.