s nasal passages. When an infected person exhales, they release viral particles from their nose into the air.
Common health advice about air travel is to use saline spray to keep nasal passages moist and saline eye drops to keep eyes lubricated during a flight. This is to help prevent getting sick from a virus, since the air on planes is extremely dry, making it easier for viruses to spread.
Given those two scientifically proven facts, would it be fair to conclude that the chances of getting COVID-19 while swimming are less than being unmasked on deck? (Assuming everything else being equal-- the distance kept between you and other people, etc.) This is my theory, for these reasons:
1. While swimming, the nasal passages are constantly wet (and chlorine is in the water), making it more difficult for the virus to live in a swimmer's nose.
2. Wearing goggles protects the eyes from coming in contact with the virus.
3. Except for backstroke, exhalation is done in the water, making it less likely an infected swimmer could pass the virus to another swimmer (as long as they are actually swimming and not chatting side-by-side at the end of the lane).
4. During inhalation, it seems like a very inhospitable environment for the virus to enter and infect a swimmer.
67King, care to weigh in on this? Is there an epidemiologist out there?
