Can wind spread coronavirus? What about salt water? What to know before beach trip
Hundreds of unmasked people tired of self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic flocked to beaches Memorial Day weekend and continue to do so as local authorities relax lockdown measures.
Every state and city is different. Some still have closed beaches, others such as California opened theirs but recommend face masks, while one county in Florida just lifted all social distancing rules for beachgoers.
Despite what your home state is or is not allowing, there are still safety questions about going to the beach that even scientists don’t yet know the answers to.
There’s no doubt water-related activities can be fun, healthy ways to get some vitamin D, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, but beach visits are safe only if social distancing and hand washing is practiced.
But can you really do those things at the beach? And what about the wind and saltwater?
Here are some answers to those concerns.
Surprisingly, you touch a lot at the beach
It’s uncommon to associate hand washing at the beach because you’re spending time in open air, on the sand and in the water.
But in the age of COVID-19, the practice must be done, especially after touching buttons to pay for parking, for example, which could very well have coronavirus particles on them.
Recent research shows that the coronavirus can live on copper for up to four hours, cardboard for about one day and on plastic and stainless steel for about two to three days, according to a letter to the editor published in April in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Some beaches also provide communal showers to rinse off sand and saltwater that require handles or buttons to operate. Then there are public restrooms with door knobs, faucets and toilet flushers galore.
Experts say there’s a chance that sunlight and its accompanying ultraviolet radiation will kill any virus particles on exposed surfaces over time, giving beach visitors less to worry about.
“[UV light] almost sterilizes surfaces. If you’re outside, it’s generally cleaner than inside simply because of that UV light,” which is used in hospitals to disinfect medical equipment, Ian Lipkin, director of Columbia University’s Center for Infection and Immunity, told National Geographic.
However, it remains unclear how long it takes for the sun’s rays to kill coronavirus particles and how other outdoor factors such as rain might affect them, experts say.
The CDC recommends bringing hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol just in case.
What about the beachy winds?
Even when outdoors, maintaining at least a 6-foot distance from anyone you don’t live with is one of the safest ways to prevent coronavirus infection, the CDC says.
But beaches are breezy, and viruses in general are capable of floating in the air, according to University of California San Diego atmospheric scientist Kim Prather, who studies virus transmission in the ocean, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
And if they’re in the air, they can be moved by wind, which means distance between people might not protect them from infection, Prather said.
“Surfers are saying that they’re safe if they stay 6 feet away from other people, but that’s only true if the air isn’t moving,” Prather told the outlet. “Most of the time, there’s wind or a breeze at the coast. Tiny drops of virus can float in the air and get blown around.”
It’s similar to cigarette smoke, she said. If someone is smoking far away from you and the wind blows in your direction, you’re going to smell it.
But another expert doesn’t think wind poses a great risk.
“If you’re clearly separate from other people, I think you’re okay,” Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Consumer Reports.
Schaffner said wind helps diffuse virus particles in the air, so even if you come in contact with them, you might not be exposed to high concentrations.
“From what we’ve seen, most of this infection is transmitted indoors rather than outdoors,” he told the outlet.
Can coronavirus survive in ocean water?
The CDC says “there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the water.”
But researchers have found that similar coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) can survive up to 12 days in room temperature tap water, according to research by Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of virology and environmental science at the University of Arizona.
However, “we don’t have studies on seawater, but usually viruses survive for less time in salt water,” Gerba told Consumer Reports.
Regardless of the unknown, coronavirus-filled saliva and mucus could end up in the water where you’re swimming, so some experts say to avoid sticking your head underwater or accidentally swallowing it.
Social distancing while swimming helps, too, according to Dr. Mark Sobsey, a research professor at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
“That will allow any virus that might emanate from nearby swimmers, surfers, or paddlers to dilute, disperse, and die off,” Sobsey told Consumer Reports.
Experts agree that even if virus particles are swimming with you, they likely won’t be in high enough concentrations to infect you.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Can wind spread coronavirus? What about salt water? What to know before beach trip."
