The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diving routines and diving hygiene

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diving Routines and Diving Hygiene ‘Elegans International Scientific Conference Series, First International Conference on Life Science’ Yavuz ASLAN 11, Ayse Sena YUMBUL KARDAS 2 ORCID: 0000-0003-3032-683x; 0000-0001-7793-6219 1 Health Sciences University, Sultan 2nd Abdulhamid Han Training and Research Hospital, Department of Underwater Medicine and Hyperbaric Medicine, 3400 İstanbul, Türkiye 2 Kutahya City Hospital, Department of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, 4300 Kutahya, Türkiye Abstract Objective The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant reduction in diving activities in Turkey. While knowledge about the virus increased and specific safety measures were adopted to encourage a return to diving, it seems that recovery of the pre-pandemic levels will take time. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in divers' routines and perceptions of hygiene compared to the pre-pandemic period. Methods: A 20-question survey, designed to assess demographic data, diving routines, and hygiene perceptions, was electronically sent to four diving schools, inviting participation from their members. Results: A total of 48 divers participated in the survey. The majority of participants were experienced divers in the middle-aged group who had been diving regularly for a long period. A significant increase in hygiene awareness was observed post-pandemic. However, many participants reported shortcomings in the implementation of safety measures and expressed a lack of sufficient motivation to return to diving. Conclusion: This study, though based on a limited sample, revealed the impact of the pandemic on the diving population in Turkey. It highlighted the need for efforts to restore diving operations to pre-pandemic levels of activity. These results also confirmed that diving hygiene is a crucial component of diving safety.