A beach coronavirus warning meets a tidal wave of controversy, and the test of science


Photograph: ©Coastal Care

Excerpts;

For weeks, a debate has been raging over whether going to the beach or swimming in the ocean increases your risk of catching or transmitting the coronavirus. The issue has rankled surfers, overwhelmed runners and bikers and confused anyone seeking the fresh air and freedom of California’s coast…

On Saturday, Dr. Prather took to social media to clarify her initial remarks to the LA Times.
“Now, what about … where I said I would not go into the ocean if you paid me? That was totally taken out of context and when I first read it, I cringed,” Prather wrote in a lengthy post on her Facebook page. “I made it very clear to (the Times reporter) that SARS-CoV-2 has not been detected in the ocean or atmosphere by anyone. Much research needs to be done to understand this virus and how/if it travels through the environment. It is also a virus that has a fragile “envelope” that if disrupted by heat or water kills the virus — that is very good news.”
The main point Prather wanted to make wasn’t the danger of coronavirus blown ashore by surf spray. It was to dismiss the idea that 6 feet is some magic distance beyond which the coronavirus won’t venture…”Coronavirus At The Beach? In The Surf? In The Breeze? It’s Complicated; CBS San Francisco

“A beach coronavirus warning meets a tidal wave of controversy, and the test of science”; LA Times (04-11-2020)

Coronavirus At The Beach? In The Surf? In The Breeze? It’s Complicated; CBS San Francisco (04-05-2020)
How real is the threat of catching COVID-19 by inhaling the fresh sea breeze? On Saturday, Dr. Prather took to social media to clarify her remarks to the Times.
The main point Dr.Prather wanted to make wasn’t the danger of coronavirus blown ashore by surf spray. It was to dismiss the idea that 6 feet is some magic distance beyond which the coronavirus won’t venture…

Surfing: Coronavirus lockdown advice leaves room for confusion; BBC News (04-09-2020)
In one surf-loving nation, Australia, some beaches are closed but others remain packed. So is it ok to surf during the Covid-19 crisis? Some of Australia’s most popular and famous surf beaches – including Sydney’s Bondi and Manly – have been closed and fences erected to deter surfers and swimmers…

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