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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Luke Matthews

Doctor says 'avoid runners' over coronavirus fears - and not just due to sweat

With the UK on lockdown, we're all being asked to do our bit in the fight against coronavirus and stay at home.

Nine days ago (and yes, it really has only been nine days), Boris Johnson addressed the nation to set out the conditions, which included being allowed out to shop for basic necessities, essential travel to work, and caring for a vulnerable person.

It also permits one form of exercise a day, alone or with members of your household, meaning many choose to go out running.

The social distancing rules still apply when it comes to exercise, with people being told to maintain a two metre gap between themselves and others when they stretch their legs.

It can be hard to do on narrow pavements and paths - but a doctor has explained why he thinks it's vital to 'steer clear' of runners when you're out and about.

He said the biggest risk wasn't sweat (Ben Cawthra/LNP)

Talking on ABC's Coronacast podcast, Dr Norman Swan explained that he 'wasn't sure' if coronavirus had been found in sweat, but that isn't the only danger when you come into close proximity with people doing physical exercise.

Answering a listener question about the risk, Dr Swan said it does pose a threat if runners 'invade your personal space just as they are flicking whatever secretions they've got'.

"Sweat isn’t the only secretion you emit when you’re in physical extremist jogging down the road," he said.

“I think you have to assume as you’re breathing up and breathing fast, if you’ve got virus there you are more likely to be aerosolising it.

"When I’m out running, I steer clear of other people and I certainly steer clear of runners coming towards me because these in a sense project that bigger tidal volume, that bigger depth of breathing and rapid breathing, if they had COVID-19 then they could actually be spraying it out a bit more than normal."

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