Chlorine Kills COVID
Posted on 19th April 2021
In the early 1900s engineers discovered that adding chlorine to swimming pool water disinfected it and killed germs. Over the past 120 years, this treatment has been refined and combined with filtration, backwashing, and water replacement our pools are the cleanest they have ever been.
Industry bodies, experts, and swimmers were horrified when pools were closed during the COVID pandemic and remained closed long after other social activities reopened. Their knowledge of bacteria, germs, and pathogens told them chlorine would kill COVID, but they were ignored by both government and scientists.
They have now been proved right. Leading baby swim school Waterbabies, in partnership with Swim England, the RNFL, and a team of virologists from Imperial College London has proved that Chlorine kills COVID within 30 seconds of contact. Using varying concentrations of chlorine expected to be found in swimming pool water, they were able to measure the ability of the virus to infect cells. The work carried out proved the virus was unable to survive in pool water and therefore unable to transmit infection.
These findings are incredibly important for increasing confidence in the public and getting them and their children back into regular swimming. We know that during the COVID pandemic, children and parents have felt increasingly isolated by Lockdown restrictions, which in turn has had a profound effect on their mental health and their social skills development.
