Pool sharing in the time of Coronavirus

[JohnT]

Maybe I am out numbered Maybe I have a different picture then other

I picture a next door neighbor and their kids swimming. They won't touch anything but their towels and the side of the pool?..They can bring their own chairs or you can wash yours when thy leave?
No evidence of COVAD and pool water but would give it a boost and not let anybody else swim for a few days
They should understand and know not to touch stuff.
I would get an email saying because your not going to be outside with them please understand they are responsible for the kids if anything happens.

My neighborhood is full of 5th graders outside playing so maybe I see it different,

NOW is LA or New York City I would have a different answer

This is a perfect example of the misunderstanding of how the virus is transmitted that causes it to spread. The virus can be transmitted up to two weeks before any signs whatsoever indicate that you have have it. It travels through the air. You should not be around people you don’t live with unless you have to. Neighbors are no different than strangers.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

This is exactly what epidemiologists are talking about - you have to assume the worst-case scenario in transmission and isolate because you simply can not know all of the social connections that people have. Everyone can make up a reason for why they think it's ok to cheat a little bit here or a little bit there, that is a natural human tendency. We all believe at some level that "it can't happen to me"...and that is exactly the reason why social distancing is so difficult. You really have to fight the natural human urge to reach out and connect with others.

An example - my daughter's 4th birthday happen to coincide with this outbreak. We cancelled her party out of an abundance of caution and had a very simply, family only party here at the house. I even kept my parents away (they left her gifts at the door and waved to her through the window). We have 8 goodie bags of little trinkets she desperately wants to give to her friends (normally handed out at the end of the party). Our first thought was, "Hey, let's just drop them off at everyone's house..." NOOOOOOOO, absolutely not! That would create an immediate connection between my family and eight other families. My wife works in a hospital and she is on the front lines of this. If she should test positive or develop symptoms, that one little gesture of kindness would turn into a nightmare for eight other families.

It is not worth it. Isolate and stay away. This is how we hold this thing back until the healthcare system can get the supplies it needs and the researchers get the time they need to develop and test vaccines and anti-viral therapies.

 

[Newdude]

 

[Leebo]

Staff members at Trinity Tony Teramana Medical Oncology test positive for COVID-19

Employees at the Trinity Tony Teramana Medical Oncology center in Steubenville have tested positive for the coronavirus. Three staff members at the medical center, which is operated in partnership with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, tested positive for the coronavirus. "We are working every day to...

wtov9.com

That’s the lead story today at the local news, and I’m in a small town compared to many. To date the entire county has 5 cases and zero deaths. Because of this being spread these staff members are now forced to close a rather busy part of the hospital for a few days. Now the question that’s on EVERYBODY’S minds, how many of the sick have also been infected.

Somewhere deep inside you had doubts, or you likely wouldn’t have asked the question. Please listen to those doubts.

 

[markayash]

I can't argue that, my parents are in an assisted living and they have had the facility locked down for over 2 weeks and now have gone to in room lock down..They are both in their upper 80's so scary

 

[gonfishin]

I can't argue that, my parents are in an assisted living and they have had the facility locked down for over 2 weeks and now have gone to in room lock down..They are both in their upper 80's so scary

Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and senior independent living facilities have been on no visitors/medically necessary visits only since March 8th here in Minnesota. My 90-yr old mom's facility is considering in room dining for all residents because the residents don't like the 2 to a table, multiple shift dining that was implemented last week. So what do the ladies do? They start having late evening parties where 3-6 get together for a drink, conversation, and cookies in someone's apartment! Their thought pattern about not getting sick is frightening.

 

[Newdude]

They start having late evening parties where 3-6 get together for a drink, conversation, and cookies in someone's apartment! Their thought pattern about not getting sick is frightening

My 85 year old mom left in Feb after being in the nursing home for 10 months that round. We don’t have to worry about her anymore, But if she was still her for this, She would have had the mentality like the orchestra playing on the sinking Titanic. Calm and classy while the world burned around her.

 

[tstex]

If you can get your FC to the rate of 1 part bleach to 5 part water, that is the bleach recommended kill rate %. That's way more than any OCLT test percentage I;ve ever seen. Although you are presenting good will, you could be spreading the virus...most kids are asymptomatic as well...clearly No is the answer.

The ONLY way is if every person coming over were tested and all negative, right before they came to your house..but. that;s an unrealistic task bc the tests are for people that think they are positive.

if you can do a ZOOM virtual swim, let them all jump in

 

[carnivalday]

My local Publix has "senior hour" on Tuesdays, from 7 to 8 am, so I decided Id go last week, since Ive been really good about staying home...not like I havent got enough work to do here to last me 3 months. So I figured hopefully Id get enough stuff to last me a month, which I figure would be doable, since I order organic meat online (I have plenty) and have chickens (plenty of eggs), and I cook pretty good with staples, so I figure Ill be good. So I get to Publix about 10 til 7 and expected a bit of a line. There was, probably 25 people or so. And they were all crowded together, chatting, patting each other, hugging each other. I nearly flipped out. I wanted to drive past them and scream at them "what the eff is wrong with you people??? There is a reason we are supposed to be 6 feet from each other....especially you old farts!!!!! " (not that Im not old or anything).

But I didnt. I parked. Waited until the door opened, all the old guys entered the store, then I went in and got what I needed. And Im good for a while. Which is good, because its not nice of me to yell at old farts.

 

[mguzzy]

... (not that Im not old or anything)....

Its only gray when you look in the mirror

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Practically those of us in warm sunny climates are probably fine when it comes to UV and the environment killing off virii in a hurry, and you could spray down the decking with mild bleach solution, etc. But I am sure you are opening yourself up to liability and you are otherwise coming in contact with the other people. I don't think I would worry about spreading from the pool... but the contact with others while there is just the same as any where else. I would say keep it very limited to no. I don't tend to be as panicked as much as I have to go into work as an "essential" employee well more than half the time. If I did panic I would have had a stroke by now. Use as much common sense as you can and try to keep contact as brief as you can and that should point you to the right answer.

 

[HeyEng]

The biggest issue I have is that right now, we don't know what we don't know. I saw a report (and like most news, I take with a grain of salt) that there are new patients that have tested positive, but have symptoms that differ than what was understood. Add that to the fact that you can carry it for a period of time without KNOWING you are carrying it...well, any kind of "get together" is a BAD IDEA.

My wife's mother would like to go ahead with Easter dinner for "just the family" and doesn't see the harm. Never mind that she's over 65 years old, has AFIB, hypertension and her husband has diabetes and is "getting over a cold." This is the kind of thinking that can lead to people's DEATH. And don't get me started on the dentist that lives across the street that is still seeing patients (on a non emergency basis) and had NO LESS than 8 cars packed with visitors parked in his yard/drive yesterday.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

Thanks all for the responses!

I should have been more clear on the “who” in this. I am talking 5th graders with their parents who are family friends, in a defined period; not random kids goofing around unsupervised whenever! People who have been here before and who know my pool rules (and I can remind them before they come). So I am not concerned about liability.

@ajw22 I hadn’t thought about sanitizing tables and chairs, handrails, etc. good point - but they can be sanitized easily. I’m not worried about the deckNot sure about coping though. As @mrcarcrazy said I was thinking that drying out and UV would take care of porous surfaces.
@kimkats I am definitely not supplying towels, Spray bottle of bleach a good idea.

@JJ_Tex my thinking is closest to yours, maybe it’s a Texas thing, although I respect that the “no’s” are coming from states that are hit harder than us.

7th gen Texan here. I say no.

 

[carnivalday]

People dont even think about things like...well, its just a family get together. Well, fine, but that family member stopped and got gas on the way to your house, which 50 other people did that same day. I honestly dont understand why people are so self serving that they cant just do what is recommended for a couple of weeks. This virus kills people. And that person it kills may not be you, but it may be a family member who caught it from someone who also thought, well, its a family member, so its ok.

 

[BMK]

Using the pool in 'shifts', trying to keep the kids a safe distance away from each other, along with the other concessions just doesnt seem like a real fun, relaxed get together anyway. Why not wait? I guess I'm not seeing the reward that would outweigh the potential risks here.

You obviously dont live in an area that has been severely affected....yet. You're fortunate. Why not try to keep it that way?

 

[Newdude]

You obviously dont live in an area that has been severely affected....yet. You're fortunate. Why not try to keep it that way?

It’s pretty clear that we’ve all been hit. The only question is Whether or not your states 14 days of no symptoms is up or not.