Indoor Swimming Research Articles

Non-pharmacological treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease: nutrition, exercise, and environmental management

Background: Globally, the prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) has significantly increased. Consequently, interest in non-pharmacological treatment approaches has risen.Current Concepts: Nutritional and immunological status plays a pivotal role in the onset, treatment, and prognosis of NTM-PD. A lower body mass index is associated with an increased disease risk. Reduced abdominal fat and hypoalbuminemia have also been linked to the progression of NTM-PD. As a result, nutritional therapy aims to overcome underweight and meet energy, protein, and micronutrient requirements. In addition, exercise, and respiratory rehabilitation are essential for patients. Moderate aerobic and strength training is recommended, while strenuous activities need to be avoided, especially in cases of hemoptysis. Environmental management includes minimizing exposure to potential NTM sources like aerosols from showers, public baths, and gardening. Recommendations include regular cleaning of showerheads, adequate bathroom ventilation, and avoiding public baths and indoor swimming. For patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, consuming water boiled for at least 10 minutes is advised.Discussion and Conclusion: Although antibiotics remain central to NTM-PD treatment, they may not be suitable for every patient due to their potential side effects. Therefore, a comprehensive approach encompassing nutritional management, exercise, and environmental control is essential. Continued research into developing non-pharmacological interventions remains vital for holistic treatment strategies to address NTM-PD.

SARS‐CoV‐2 prevalence and transmission in swimming activities: Results from a retrospective cohort study

There is an urgent need for research on the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) causing coronavirus 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 5 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 episodes leading to transmission 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%). As a result of 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.

Microbial water quality of public swimming pool in the district of Bragança

Abstract Background The poor water quality of recreational and rehabilitation pools, has been correlated to insufficient disinfection or human contamination, and can be a vehicle for transmitting diseases to users. Because people with different characteristics attend public swimming pools with different purposes, the pool water quality control is essential to minimize hazards related to unsafe water. Methods This study was based on data collection of 144 samples between 2018 and 2020 in therapeutic and recreational pools (indoor and outdoor) in the Bragança district. The proportion of the number of bathers were estimated, as well as the microbial parameters: Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, total Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus coagulase-positive and mesophilic microbial count. Results The E. coli, enterococci and mesophilic microbial count were not found in any sample. Unsafe pool water was mainly contaminated by both photogenic P. aeruginosa (6.3%) and total Sthaphylococcus (10.4%). Levels of P. aeruginosa in therapeutic pools was greater than in recreational pools (indoor and outdoor) (10.5% vs 6.8% and 4.5%, respectively), while total Sthaphylococcus was absent in therapeutic pools and represent 13.6% and 10.6% of positivity in indoor and outdoor swimming pools, respectively. The bathers number medium of therapeutic, indoor and outdoor pools was 4.8, 3.4 and 6.9, respectively. Conclusions Overall, the results endorse the good water quality of these swimming pools, mainly by the absent of faecally-derived bacteria. The presence of P. aeruginosa in therapeutic pools can be explained by the type of users, while the high number of bathers may promote the growth of some microorganisms, particularly in outdoor pools.

Childhood Asthma and Environmental Exposures at Swimming Pools: State of the Science and Research Recommendations

ObjectivesRecent studies have explored the potential for swimming pool disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are respiratory irritants, to cause asthma in young children. Here we describe the state of the science on methods for understanding children’s exposure to DBPs and biologics at swimming pools and associations with new-onset childhood asthma and recommend a research agenda to improve our understanding of this issue.Data sourcesA workshop was held in Leuven, Belgium, 21–23 August 2007, to evaluate the literature and to develop a research agenda to better understand children’s exposures in the swimming pool environment and their potential associations with new-onset asthma. Participants, including clinicians, epidemiologists, exposure scientists, pool operations experts, and chemists, reviewed the literature, prepared background summaries, and held extensive discussions on the relevant published studies, knowledge of asthma characterization and exposures at swimming pools, and epidemiologic study designs.SynthesisChildhood swimming and new-onset childhood asthma have clear implications for public health. If attendance at indoor pools increases risk of childhood asthma, then concerns are warranted and action is necessary. If there is no such relationship, these concerns could unnecessarily deter children from indoor swimming and/or compromise water disinfection.ConclusionsCurrent evidence of an association between childhood swimming and new-onset asthma is suggestive but not conclusive. Important data gaps need to be filled, particularly in exposure assessment and characterization of asthma in the very young. Participants recommended that additional evaluations using a multidisciplinary approach are needed to determine whether a clear association exists.

Water quality of swimming pools in Athens area

In this work a representative sample of 11 indoor and outdoor swimming pools were investigated with respect to critical physicochemical, health-related, microbiological and technical parameters. These pools were used either as competition (athletic) or as recreation pools. Useful correlations of the above parameters were deduced and properly attributed. Results were checked against well-established standards, such as DIN 19643, showing poor compliance with them in all parameters investigated. Thus, compliance for health-related parameters varied from 0 to 100%, for physical and chemical parameters from 20 to 100%, for microbiological parameters from 45 to 91% and for technical parameters from 27 to 36%. The most critical parameters implicated for poor water quality were Redox potential, turbidity and the appearance of certain opportunistic pathogens ( Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ). These were attributed to poor process design of pools and lack of sufficient vocational training of the technical personnel operating the water treatment installations.

Determination of Volatile Haloforms in Indoor Swimming Pool Air

Determination of Volatile Haloforms in Indoor Swimming Pool Air