June 22, 2020--Flushing

Just when I thought I had assimilated everything I needed to know about avoiding the coronavirus, leave it to the New York Times, the "paper of record," to come up with more things to worry about.

According to the Times, I need to do more than wash my hands 20 times a day while singing "Happy Birthday." I need to do more than maintain a social distance when among people and wear a mask 18 hours a day. It seems I now also have to be careful about how I flush the toilet.

Yes, it's come to that.

In case you missed the Times article, here's what you need to know. 

First, like so much else, it's a gendered issue. Men and women potty differently and since one form of virus propagation is the product of launching infested water globules when flushing, the height from which one does that is critical. Women sit, men stand. Does more need to be said about that?

Scientists have found that flushing a toilet can generate a cloud of aerosol droplets that rises nearly three feet. Those droplets may linger in the air long enough to be inhaled by a shared toilet’s next user, or land on surfaces in the bathroom.

In addition, this toilet plume can carry infectious coronavirus particles that are already present in the surrounding air.

For the science-minded, there is more to know--

A computer simulation of toilet flushing showed that when water pours into the toilet and generates a vortex, it displaces air in the bowl. These vortices move upward and the centrifugal force pushes out about 6,000 tiny droplets per flush and even tinier aerosol particles. All waiting to ensnare us.

So, what is one to do?

Thankfully, people can easily prevent the spread of infections from the toilet plume.

To do so, it is suggested that one should close the lid first and then trigger the flushing process. Though the Times acknowledges this isn’t always possible in public bathrooms. But at least it's a start.

I wonder, though, what the Trump people in Tulsa did. Obviously no face masks, also no social distancing, but after a couple of six packs . . . flushing?

This is where my curiosity ends. There is a limit to what I'm willing to do to try to stay healthy.