Virologists: chlorinated pool water kills coronavirus in 30 seconds

Virologists from Imperial College London have studied the effect of different concentrations of chlorine in water on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the Daily Mail. Scientists obtained water samples from London pools and in the laboratory studied the ability of chlorine contained in this water to deactivate the coronavirus. It turned out that the virus is unable to survive in bleach. So, even if an infected person is swimming next to the path, the likelihood that others will become infected from him is negligible. In the course of the study, scientists calculated that a concentration of free chlorine of 1.5 milligrams per 1 liter of water at a pH of 7-7, 2 reduced the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 by more than 1000 times in just 30 seconds.

Further testing using various chlorine concentrations and pH levels has shown that bleach is especially effective at low pH levels. All of this is in line with current guidelines for the operation of swimming pools: the concentration of free chlorine is 1.5 milligrams per liter and the pH level is 7.0.

The study proves once again that swimming pools are safe during a pandemic when taken care of and that swimming enthusiasts should not stop exercising.