Can Covid-19 spread through pools & hot tubs?
No. The CDC has made this clear on their website, saying that there’s no evidence of any danger from coronavirus as long as the pool or hot tub is properly sanitized. It goes on to say that sanitizer, such as chlorine or bromine, should remove or inactivate the virus.
Will you continue to maintain my pool during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Yes. The CDC recommends “Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection …” With your help, we’ll:
Make sure your pool or hot tub is running properly, and that you’re using it the way it was intended to be used.
Make sure you’re maintaining the equipment so it’s working the way it’s supposed to, and maintaining the pool or hot tub itself (i.e., cleaning it, etc.).
And most importantly, make sure you have the correct amount of sanitizer in the water.
Will chlorine in a pool of hot tub remove Coronavirus?
Yes, chlorine will eradicate the coronavirus.
Let’s refer back to the CDC’s statement on the safety of using pools and hot tubs during the pan
… Proper … disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19
The key is to keep the chlorine level within the recommended range of 1 ppm to 3 ppm.
Important: For this purpose, we recommend aiming for the higher end of that range: 3 ppm. It’s not necessary to go any higher.
A Word of Warning About Pools and Hot Tubs
While swimming or soaking themselves are safe, we have two serious warnings for you.
Do Not Swim or Soak if You’re Sick
While chlorine and other sanitizers can kill some viruses, they will not cure you if you’re ill due to a virus. Simply swimming or soaking in chlorinated water is not a magical remedy. If it were, no one would be dying from this disease.
In addition, this is a respiratory disease. Swimming can put undue pressure and stress on your lungs. And sitting in the humid environment of a hot tub can make breathing a little more difficult than it already may be if you have COVID-19.
Do Not Allow Anyone Who Has COVID-19 to Swim in Your Pool or Soak in Your Hot Tub
As the CDC said, there is no evidence that simply swimming or soaking in pools and hot tubs will spread the coronavirus.
However, someone who’s sick may still cough into their hand, and then touch the pool ladder or the side of the hot tub, parts that are not submerged in chlorinated water. And then if you or someone else touches those parts after they do, and then you touch your face, nose, eyes or mouth before you wash your hands or put them in chlorinated water, there’s a chance you could become ill.
Here’s something else to consider. The COVID-19 coronavirus lingers on those surfaces. In fact, it can survive:
up to four hours on copper
up to 24 hours on cardboard
up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel (which is what your pool ladder handles are likely made of)
Don’t take that chance. Keep anyone and everyone who has—or may have—COVID-19 out of your pool and hot tub until they’ve recovered.
Should I Disinfect My Pool and Hot Tub Surfaces?
Yes. And not just because of coronavirus. Bacteria love damp, humid environments, and all types of viruses can be lurking on surfaces like pool ladder handles and diving boards or hot tub headrests.
Clean all the surfaces not submerged in sanitized water with a diluted bleach solution by mixing:
5 tablespoons (⅓ cup) bleach per gallon of water (74 ml per 3.8 litres of water)
Or
4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water (20 ml per litre of water)