Okay, so it’s just one Californian epidemiologist’s opinion, but I’m sure she’d also apply it to paddlers, the Atlantic Ocean, or any major city with a waste water treatment plant near a choppy river or lake.
More alarmist stories in my opinion. That virus out in Trillions of gallons very salty water that has great UV exposure and the water is moving and churning, exactly what you look for in fresh water. I think I’m good with the water myself.
Didn’t read this version of the story, but from what I understood about the original article in San Diego was that with all the people on the beaches and in the water surfing, infected people will shed virus in breath and spittle and tiny amounts of this material are easily transported in the saturated sea air by local winds, so it’s best to stay up wind of crowds or avoid the beach entirely. Not a problem now where I live because if you surf you will get busted. Don’t believe the sea air can carry suspended particles hundreds of yards? Check out my windshield and car, usually coated with a fine film of deposited salts. Everything in my yards rusts very quickly and I am three miles from the coast. Also in my 20 or so years surfing here I have had 3 major infections two were drug resistant bacteria, the other was intestinal virus that ended up with a trip to emergency room, so for my part I’ll stay out of the water for several more weeks.
Is there an epidemiologist in the paddling-dot-com house?
I’d like another opinion:
“…neither the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor local health agencies have warned that the virus can be spread by ocean spray or coastal breezes. However, they have warned that it can be spread by droplets from sneezes and coughs, and by coming into contact with it on surfaces.”
I totally get closing crowded beaches to sunbathers/spring breakers/Unidentified Frying Objects coughing/sweating/sneezing bodily fluids off their blankets and the like–But totally barring access to the ocean??? And does this lady’s findings only apply to beachfront property, or is there a coastal limit extending miles out past the breakwater? (Oh wait, look out! There’s one of those cruises with an outbreak on-board! Paddle faster before they sneeze down on us! --A little levity, folks. Don’t get excited.).
Now if nobody’s been on the beach at all for some days time(and barring any immediate run-off from sewage/rainfall)…How high are the odds of a lone surfer/swimmer/paddler-with-a-bad roll, of either contracting or spreading the virus?
And when would it be considered “safe” to go back in the water? When the virus is quashed months from now on land? Okay, so maybe nobody at this point really knows.
–But inquiring minds want to know.
Here is the scientist’s response about how she was quoted out of context:
Wow. Nothing like “objective” reporting. Thanks for posting.