According to a recent Chinese study, flushing the toilet flushes water droplets up to one meter away! However, this is sufficient to spray the person concerned and several nearby surfaces. To remedy this risk, the researchers recommend in particular to close the toilet before flushing.
The faecal route of transmission concerning Covid-19 is not yet the subject of a consensus. However, the evidence is accumulating in this direction. It should be noted in passing that employees of wastewater treatment plants are particularly exposed. But precautions should also be taken at home, according to a Chinese study published in the journal Physics of Fluids on June 16, 2020.
According to researchers, flushing the toilet bowl wide open can cause drops to be projected up to a meter away . Thus, this is more than enough to spray the person present in the toilet but also various surfaces nearby. One solution:lower the toilet seat and lid.
Prof. Joshua L. Santarpia, microbiologist at the University of Nebraska (USA) commented on the study in a New York Times article the day after it was published . The person concerned indicated that the aerosols from the toilets are a fact that has been known for a long time but is often overlooked. According to him, the Chinese study goes in the direction of an awareness about the measures to be taken.
However, a question arises:how can the drops projected from the toilet be a source of contamination? You should know that in some cases, people with Covid-19 suffer from diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. However, the virus can pass through these fluids which end up in the toilets but also on other sanitary equipment.
Researchers believe lower viral load than droplets from a cough or sneeze. Nevertheless, contagion remains possible. Indeed, not less than 6,000 water droplets can be squirted out of the toilet every time you flush!
Chinese researchers have mentioned other measures, especially in public toilets. It is your responsibility to keep your mask in place but also to take care not to touch surfaces unnecessarily and even less to the face. In addition, public toilets sometimes have automatic flushes. It is therefore necessary to quickly move away from it after finishing. Finally, remember that it is essential to wash your hands – and effectively in all circumstances.
