Key result
Among 162 indoor swimming risk episodes involving a SARS-CoV-2 positive participant, 4.9% led to transmission, resulting in an estimated 1.0% infection risk for exposed swimmers.
Why the study?
Research was needed on SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility across different settings, specifically to understand transmission risks and the efficiency of restrictions during indoor swimming activities.
Cohort (n=2,201)
Yes
Indoor swimming activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark had a low overall transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2, though competitive swimming showed a higher incidence rate than recreational swimming.
Low transmission supports cautious indoor swimming access; leaves open competitive vs recreational risk differences for prospective study.
There is an urgent need for research on the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as the transmissibility differs between settings and populations. Here we report on a questionnaire-based retrospective cohort study of the prevalence and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among participants in swimming activities in Denmark in the last five months of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight of 162 swimming activities with a SARS-CoV-2 positive participant led to transmission to 23 other participants. Overall, the percentage of transmission episodes was 4.9% (competitive swimming 8.9%; recreational swimming 1.3%). Overall, the incidence rate of transmission was 19.5 participants per 100.000 pool activity hours (corresponding values: 43.5 and 4.7 for competitive and recreational swimming, respectively). Compliance with precautionary restrictions was highest regarding hand hygiene (98.1%) and lowest in distancing personal sports bags (69.9%). Due to low statistical power, the study showed no significant effect of restrictions. Insight into the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during indoor swimming is needed to estimate the efficiency of restrictive measures on this and other sports and leisure activities. Only when we know how the virus spreads through various settings, optimal strategies to handle the COVID-19 pandemic can be developed.
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Termansen et al. (2021) conducted a cohort in SARS-CoV-2 transmission (n=2,201). Indoor swimming activities with a SARS-CoV-2 positive participant was evaluated on Fraction of risk episodes that resulted in other participants subsequently testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among 162 indoor swimming risk episodes involving a SARS-CoV-2 positive participant, 4.9% led to transmission, resulting in an estimated 1.0% infection risk for exposed swimmers.
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