Can Covid-19 Spread Through Farts? Medical Experts Break it Down For Us

Farts could be deadly (metaphorically of course), but can it also be literally deadly by carrying inside it, the Covid-19 virus?

Recently, a viral post by Lobak Merah shared how Covid-19 could be spread through farts as doctors have found traces of the virus inside faeces. However, what is the possibility of this actually happening in real life?

Source:Science Focus

The question of whether the virus could spread through gasses from our rear-end has actually sparked a global debate. According to Australia’s number one news site, News.com.au  in a report here, the peculiar question has been addressed by a popular physician by the name of Dr Norman Swan in a podcast where he said that,

“…people should avoid farting near one another to stop the spread of Coronavirus. It is everyone’s responsibility not to pass wind close to another person and that you don’t fart with your bottom bare.”

Err, okay…

Dr Norman Swan | Source: Thebusinessofhealthcare

The report alleged that Covid-19 positive people shed fragments of the virus in their faeces. Furthermore, even the Australian government are testing local wastewater as part of an ongoing monitoring and early warning system for Coronavirus outbreaks.

Back to gasses of destruction, Dr Swan claims that although farts could bring droplets of Covid-19 with it, our clothings provide some protection from it, like a mask.

“We wear a mask that covers our farts all the time,” Dr Swan said, referring to people’s underpants and clothes.

Source: The Sun

Furthermore, we are also urged to flush the toilet with the lid closed, because of a “toilet plume phenomenon”. This phenomenon prescribes that the action of flushing a toilet causes up to 145,000 aerosolised droplets to be disturbed and thrown around the room, and become suspended in the air for hours, hence it could allegedly lead to Covid-19 spread.

Source:Engineering.com

However, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of Tongzhou district in Beijing clarified that farts, normally, do not constitute another transmission route of Covid-19.

That is, unless someone takes a good and rather close sniff of gas from a pantless patient. Now, that’s an image that I don’t need to have in my head right now. 

So, the bottom line is, farts could possibly carry Covid-19 but the chances of that happening is extremely low. Nevertheless, as a precaution, please close the toilet lid when flushing as it could make the toilet a place for Covid-19 to spread if we don’t, especially in public toilets.

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding Covid-19 continues to evolve, it’s possible that some data have changed since publication. While WORLD OF BUZZ is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations through other sources.

Also read: Wanted Man Was Hiding From the Police but He Farted so Loud that They Managed to Find Him