Public urinals could expose you to coronavirus, according to a study.
Researchers from Yangzhou University in China have found that flushing urinal clouds can rid you of virus-containing aerosols that could potentially inhale you, a major concern during this COVID-19 pandemic. The group recently reported similar findings with flushing public restrooms and decided to investigate urinals.
CORONAVIRUS PROTECTION: IS A FACE MASK OR FACE SHIELD BETTER?
“More than 57 percent of the particles are excreted in the urine,” the researchers said in a study published in Physics of Fluids.
The particles also traveled at an alarming rate.
The particle can reach 0.84 meters, which is about the height of a man’s thigh, in 5 1/2 seconds compared to the diffusion performance of the toilet-induced spray which ran 0.93 in 35 seconds. meters reached, according to the study.
Public urinals could expose you to coronavirus, according to a study. (iStock)
The team of researchers followed the movement of virus-containing particles as urinals are flushed via computer simulations.
“To do this, we used a method of calculating fluid dynamics to model the particle motion that occurs with the action of flushing,” said Xiangdong Liu, one of the researchers in the study. “Similar to flushing the toilet, the flushing process of the urinal involves important interactions between the gas and liquid interfaces.”
The researchers stated that their findings raise concerns about public toilets.
Recently, researchers found a virus particle of “SARS-CoV-2,” the formal name for the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, from the urine of someone with a confirmed case of the disease, meaning that urine-based transmission may be a previously ignored transmission route, the researchers stated.
HOMEMADE CORONAVIRUS FACE MASKS BECOME TWO OR THREE BEARINGS WHERE ARE STREAD FIRS, STUDY FINDS
“It means that, in addition to the toilet, the male-oriented urinal, which is a common feature in the male public restroom, can become another dangerous item,” they concluded.
The authors of the study noted that urinals are typically used in crowded locations, and because the particles can travel faster and faster in a urinal, it poses a serious challenge to public health.
The research team suggested making masks mandatory in public restrooms, adding the implementation of anti-diffusion enhancements to public restrooms is “urgently needed”, especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
