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News: Flushing 'can propel viral infection... (BBC News) - Behind the headlines

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Media coverage of health and science topics

BBC News June 16, 2020

Flushing 'can propel viral infection 3ft into air'

Flushing the toilet with the lid up creates a cloud of spray that may spread infection, study finds.

Read more at BBC News

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Research findings and data from the National Library of Medicine

PubMed articles

Phys Fluids (1994) JUNE 1, 2020

Can a toilet promote virus transmission? From a fluid dynamics perspective

YY Li et al

Currently, a novel coronavirus named "SARS-CoV-2" is spreading rapidly across the world, causing a public health crisis, economic losses, and panic. Fecal-oral transmissi …

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The Boston Globe JUNE 16, 2020

Flushing the toilet may fling coronavirus aerosols all over

A new study shows how turbulence from a toilet bowl can create a large plume that is potentially infectious to a bathroom’s next visitor.

NPR News JUNE 19, 2020

Coronavirus FAQs: Home Repair Guidelines, Toilet Plumes, Manicures And Self-Spraying

By popular demand, we've updated our guidelines for repair people in the home — and taken on new topics as well.

The New York Times JUNE 16, 2020

Flushing the Toilet May Fling Coronavirus Aerosols All Over (Published 2020)

A new study shows how turbulence from a toilet bowl can create a large plume that is potentially infectious to a bathroom’s next visitor.

The Washington Post JUNE 16, 2020

Put a lid on it, folks: Flushing may release coronavirus-containing ‘toilet plumes’

Flushing can spew aerosol droplets into the air, a new study finds, but it remains unknown whether that can lead to transmission.

The New York Times JUNE 24, 2020

What to Do When You Need to Use a Public Bathroom During a Pandemic

We’ve heard about toilet plume. And now we’re venturing out a little more. So what’s a person with a full bladder to do?