inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf

inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf
mosquito-borne diseases affect up to 700 million people each year. learn more
powered by: valneva canada inc.
home / diseases & conditions / coronavirus

the spray from your toilet could spread covid-19

a new study reinforces what we knew pre-pandemic: keep the lid down.

by nicholas sokic

jun 18 2020
read time 2 minute read
join the conversation
new study sparks concern over toilet flushing and covid-19
getty images
a new study has added to the long list of behaviours we have to watch in order to ward off covid-19. and yet, there is likely no cause to catastrophize.

published tuesday in the journal physics of fluids out of yangzhou university in china, research consisted of a computer simulation of the toilet flushing mechanism and showed that the vortex generated by flushing can push out about 6,000 droplets and other tinier aerosol particles.

flushing can fling anywhere between 40 to 60 per cent of aerosols high above the seat, reaching as high as 106.5 cm off the ground.
while the virus is mainly spread person to person through coughing, sneezing and the like, “but some patients have developed gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, showing that the virus can survive in the digestive tract,” the study says.

a previous study from may in the journal science immunology has found high levels of viral rna in some patients’ feces.

this means that the resulting aerosol spread, known as a plume, could potentially spread covid-19. this is a bigger concern for public bathrooms where closing the lid may not be possible or simply just because more people are using them.

an april study from the new england journal of medicine found that the virus can live in the air for three hours and survive on stainless steel and plastics for 72 hours, although it weakens over time.

related stories

strange physical symptoms? blame chronic stress of covid-19
human stress response was designed to cope with short-term threats like predator attacks, not the chronic stress of things like covid-19.
chronic stress can lead to inflammation, which can result in physical symptoms as well as mental health symptoms.

covid-19: cheap steroid helps reduce deaths in critically ill — not mild illness
low doses of dexamethasone reduced deaths in ventilated patients — but it won't prevent covid-19 or even help those who are mildly ill.
in a large trial, dexamethasone was shown to improve survival for severely ill covid-19 patients who required ventilation. however, the study has not yet been published or held up to scientific scrutiny.

advertisement

the authors of the yangzhou study recommend cleaning the toilet before use, closing the lid before flushing and continuing to wash one’s hands after bathroom use.

all that being said, concerns about viral spread through toilet flushing aren’t new, with noroviruses having been found in the stool or vomit of infected people. the recommendations around toilet etiquette were good practice before the pandemic, and they will remain good practice after the pandemic.

as well, there have been no confirmed cases of covid-19 transmissions through this method yet. viral stool does not necessarily translate to the virus being found in plumes. for now, it’s best to follow the recommendations and keep your toothbrush a good distance away.

nsokic@postmedia.com | @sokic_

don’t miss the latest on covid-19, reopening and life. subscribe to healthing’s daily newsletter coming out of covid.

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

you may also like
nurse wearing face mask does checkup of patient's vitals, checking heart rate computer, intravenous or iv fluids drip bag. caring nurse monitors person recovery
opinion: we can learn from covid-19 pandemic to tackle cancer
vintage drawing of a pharmacist and customer
flu and covid vaccines, yes. but don't ask an ontario pharmacist for an rsv vaccine
3d illustration concept of human circulatory system, heart anatomy, x-ray model of a heart pumping blood, the heart's ability to pump blood can be severely restricted after developing myocarditis form covid-19
covid-19 and myocarditis: was it a false alarm?
hospital doctors caring for covid patient
covid-19 infection linked to the development of irritable bowel syndrome
despairing senior man
encephalitis linked to depression and suicide
you may also like
nurse wearing face mask does checkup of patient's vitals, checking heart rate computer, intravenous or iv fluids drip bag. caring nurse monitors person recovery
opinion: we can learn from covid-19 pandemic to tackle cancer
vintage drawing of a pharmacist and customer
flu and covid vaccines, yes. but don't ask an ontario pharmacist for an rsv vaccine
3d illustration concept of human circulatory system, heart anatomy, x-ray model of a heart pumping blood, the heart's ability to pump blood can be severely restricted after developing myocarditis form covid-19
covid-19 and myocarditis: was it a false alarm?
hospital doctors caring for covid patient
covid-19 infection linked to the development of irritable bowel syndrome
you may also like
nurse wearing face mask does checkup of patient's vitals, checking heart rate computer, intravenous or iv fluids drip bag. caring nurse monitors person recovery
opinion: we can learn from covid-19 pandemic to tackle cancer
vintage drawing of a pharmacist and customer
flu and covid vaccines, yes. but don't ask an ontario pharmacist for an rsv vaccine