Nothing will keep babies from pooping in pools -- so ban babies
The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board came out against the Utah Department of Health's recommendation of tight-fitting swim diapers and/or waterproof pants in its attempt to keep toddlers in public swimming pools, and the cryptosporidium parasite out.
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The editorial says,
"Last year, after the outbreak, the state health department banned children under age 5 from public pools. It was a tough decision. But it was the right decision. …
"Swim diaper requirements will be difficult to enforce. And, unless the diapers
"waterproof" pants have elastic bands that are tighter than tourniquets, water-soluble fecal matter will still leak out.
"Public education won't work either. It might keep adults from spreading the parasite by showering thoroughly and abstaining from swimming after battling diarrhea, but nothing, short of a cork or maybe duct tape, will keep babies from pooping in pools."
The editorial concludes,
"If state regulators don't have the intestinal fortitude to ban babies from pools, local health departments should."
The editorial says,"Last year, after the outbreak, the state health department banned children under age 5 from public pools. It was a tough decision. But it was the right decision. …
"Swim diaper requirements will be difficult to enforce. And, unless the diapers
"waterproof" pants have elastic bands that are tighter than tourniquets, water-soluble fecal matter will still leak out.
"Public education won't work either. It might keep adults from spreading the parasite by showering thoroughly and abstaining from swimming after battling diarrhea, but nothing, short of a cork or maybe duct tape, will keep babies from pooping in pools."
The editorial concludes,
"If state regulators don't have the intestinal fortitude to ban babies from pools, local health departments should."
Stop pooping in the water
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Local health departments in Utah report that more than 150 cases of cryptosporidium have been, um, reported.The Utah Department of Health warns that the number of people reporting cases of severe diarrhea continues to rise, and exposure will likely not decline until people who are sick - or who have recently been sick - avoid pools and recreational waters
For more information about cryptosporidium, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Utah Department of Health's Web site.
