cryptoFor the 12th year in a row, the week before Memorial Day has been designated as National Healthy and Safe Swimming Week. This week is dedicated to focusing on simple steps swimmers can take to help ensure a healthy and safe swimming experience. While most people know they can get sick from eating or drinking contaminated food or water, they might not realize that swimming can also lead to illness.

Recreational water illnesses are caused by swallowing water or breathing in mists from contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs/spas, splash pads, lakes, rivers or oceans. The best ways to stay healthy while having fun in the water are:

  • Never swim when sick, especially with diarrhea
  • Keep pee and poop out of the water
  • Wash your body before entering the water
  • Keep all recreational water out of your mouth
The Office of Infectious Disease Services is helping to spread the word about healthy and safe swimming and ways to prevent recreational water illnesses . Staff will be out and about at community events and aquatic centers, hosting educational booths and participating in Water Safety Days. This Monday, we took part in the Healthy Swimming Twitter Chat put on by CDC and NBC Health News, where we discussed ways for people to stay healthy and safe while swimming this summer. For the fifth year OIDS is once again holding the healthy swimming poster contest to remind and encourage kids to swim healthy.