Coronavirus in Poop
New coronavirus may spread through poop
The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which has now infected nearly 76,000 people, spreads mostly through respiratory droplets and contact with infected patients. But new research suggests that it can also spread through feces.
There are currently more cases of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2) than would be expected if the virus were spreading only through respiratory droplets and contact with infected patients, according to a report published Feb. 15 by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).
They isolated the coronavirus from one patient who had severe pneumonia and examined the virus under an electron microscope. They found that the coronavirus was viable. "This means that stool samples may contaminate hands, food, water, etc.," the China CDC wrote in the report. People who use the bathroom and then don't wash their hands could spread the virus to others, for instance.
WASH YOUR HANDS PEOPLE! Yeesh!
Then, of course, there's this that has to be considered as well -- especially if the "MAY" from the article above becomes a confirmed "CAN":
Toilet plume is a term for what happens when the force of flushing sprays microscopic particles of pee, poop, and whatever else is in the bowl into the air. “‘[This plume] is easily transmitted in a wide range of air space when you flush the toilet,” Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D., an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Arizona who has studied toilet plume.
I'm still very concerned about where this whole Coronavirus thing is gonna go. It's doing some tricky things. Scary things.
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt
