COVID-19 precautionary measures for divers

What is Coronavirus

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that spreads through droplets released from the nose and mouth.  It can be caught when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can also exist outside of the body and stay on surfaces for short periods. This means that COVID-19 can be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces. Studies claim that Coronavirus can survive on glass, plastic, and metal for as long as nine days. It’s even possible for the virus to last longer in low temperatures.

Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, Coronavirus can cause pneumonia, difficulty breathing, and even death. Since the symptoms are similar to flu and the common cold, testing is needed to confirm if someone is infected with COVID-19. 

How to protect yourself from COVID-19

WHO recommends the following protective measures against COVID-19:

1. Frequent handwashing – Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. In the absence of soap and water, you can use rubbing alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands.
2. Physical distancing (Social Distancing) – You are advised to maintain at least one meter (three feet) distance from other people. By doing this, you can avoid liquid droplets when someone coughs or sneezes. 
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth – Your hands come in contact with many surfaces. If you touch a contaminated surface, the virus can enter your body when you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
4. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze – Since the virus spreads primarily from droplets, you should always cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Make sure that you throw used tissues immediately in the trash can. Never discard used tissues on the ground. 
5. Avoid going near an individual who has cold or flu-like symptoms – Keep your distance from people who are showing cold or flu-like symptoms to avoid getting infected. 
6. Clean and disinfect surfaces – Make it a habit to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, phone, and light switches. It’s also advisable to clean grocery items to decrease the risk of infection. 
7. Seek medical care if you experience the symptoms – If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention. 

Diving safety tips during COVID-19

With the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), there is rising concern about the safety of divers. Here are some precautionary measures to help you keep safe and prevent contracting the disease.

• Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends disinfecting your personal diving equipment in a 10% bleach solution or other cleaning products according to the manufacturer’s directions. Then rinse your equipment (e.g. mask, snorkel, BCD oral inflator, whistle, and some parts of the regulator) with fresh water.
• Make sure that all rental equipment has been properly disinfected before use. 
• Keep a disinfectant solution handy so that you can use it when the need arises.
• Do not use saliva to defog your mask before entering the water to lessen the risk of cross-contamination. Use a defogging solution instead.
• Do not use the same mouthpiece during air training exercises and buddy checks. 
• Always follow the safety protocols given by your dive instructor. Don’t hesitate to ask your dive instructor if you have any questions about safety procedures.

Your safety is the number one priority of Nemo Diving Center. We make sure that our dive equipment is properly sanitized to make your scuba diving Dubai experience safe and worry-free. We take proactive measures to protect our customers from COVID-19.