Gastrointestinal Virus Spreading in Lakewood, Doctor Says Shock Pools

by Public Safety Announcement

LAKEWOOD, NJ – A prominent Lakewood doctor today warned of the spreading of a gastrointestinal virus in Lakewood. Dr. Allen Lempel has issued an alert to the community regarding the spread of the virus.

According to the doctor, viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections cause gastroenteritis, which causes vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pains.

He said pool owners can reduce the spread of the virus simply by using chlorine pool shock in your pools and making sure your pool’s chlorine levels are sufficient.

Germs, or Recreational Water Illnesses, are often found in the places we swim and can cause gastrointestinal illness that cause diarrhea & vomiting. The CDC identifies diarrhea as the most common recreational water illness. People who have diarrhea can spread it to others when they swim. 


The CDC says:


You can get swimming-related illnesses if you swallow, have contact with, or breathe in mists or aerosols from water contaminated with germs. You can also get them by having contact with chemicals that are in the water or that evaporate from the water and turn into gas in the air.

Diarrhea is the most common swimming-related illness. People who are already sick with diarrhea can spread it to others when they get in recreational water. People typically have about 0.14 grams of poop (similar to a few grains of sand) on their bodies at any given time. When a person who is sick with diarrhea gets in the water, that tiny amount of poop on their body can wash into the water around them and contaminate it with germs. If someone else swallows the contaminated water, they can become infected.

Other swimming-related illnesses—such as skinearrespiratoryeye, and other infections—can be caused by germs that naturally live in the water and soil. If the chemicals used to kill germs (chlorine or bromine) in pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds are not kept at the right level, these germs can multiply and make swimmers sick.

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