Healthy Swimming Advice from the CDC

May 21 Kicks Off National Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week

May 21, 2012

Anchor Intro:

Swimming is one of the most popular recreational activities in the United States. The benefits of water-based exercise to health and family fun are numerous, but there are risks, such as illnesses, linked to swimming. So it’s important for swimmers to know how to protect themselves. Here’s John Dryden with some advice from the CDC:

ANNOUNCER:

SWIMMERS SHARE THE WATER AND THE GERMS IN IT WITH EVERY PERSON WHO ENTERS THE POOL.  THIS MEANS THAT JUST ONE PERSON WITH DIARRHEA CAN EASILY CONTAMINATE ALL THE WATER IN AN ENTIRE POOL.  SINCE CHLORINE AND OTHER POOL DISINFECTANTS DO NOT KILL GERMS INSTANTLY, WE HAVE MICHELE HLAVSA, A HEALTHY SWIMMING EXPERT WITH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, HERE TO TELL US HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM GERMS IN THE POOL.

MICHELE HLAVSA, CDC:

“All swimmers can protect their health by following a few simple steps. First, don’t swim when you have diarrhea. Second, don’t swallow the water you swim in, because even a small amount of contaminated water can make you sick. Third, use pool test strips to make sure the pool water has the proper amount of chlorine to kill most germs.”

ANNOUNCER:

HLAVSA SAYS CHLORINE KILLS MOST GERMS WITHIN MINUTES, BUT SOME GERMS, SUCH AS CRYPTOSPORIDIUM, CAN SURVIVE FOR DAYS.  THAT’S WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT SWIMMERS KEEP GERMS OUT OF THE WATER IN THE FIRST PLACE.  TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT CDC’S WEBSITE, HEALTHY SWIMMING DOT ORG, AND TO ORDER FREE POOL TEST STRIPS, VISIT HEALTHY POOLS DOT ORG.  I’M JOHN DRYDEN.