Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Fart of death? British Politicians are allegedly concerned about a case of Covid-19 transmission apparently caused by someone passing wind in an adjacent toilet cubicle.
Ministers ‘fear coronavirus could be spread by farting in a confined space’
Ministers have privately pointed to evidence that suggests Covid-19 could be spread when an infected person breaks wind in a confined space, such as a toilet, it is reported
By Chris Kitching Senior News Reporter
19:28, 24 JUL 2021Some UK Government ministers have privately expressed concerns that coronavirus could be spread through farting, it is claimed.
They have pointed to evidence that suggests Covid-19 could be spread when an infected person breaks wind in a confined space such as a toilet.
Tests have revealed that the virus can be present in faecal matter, though the science on whether flatulence could spread Covid is not definitive.
One minister, who wasn’t named, told the Telegraph that they had read “credible-looking stuff on it” from other countries, and there had been evidence of a “genomical-linked tracing connection between two individuals from a [lavatory] cubicle in Australia”.
…
Read more: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ministers-fear-coronavirus-could-spread-24609803
Sars-CoV-2 virus is present in urine and faecal excretions, though it seems to vary between patients – some patients suffer diarrhea and nausea, caused by the virus multiplying in the stomach. However even when present, the viral load in fecal matter appears to be significantly less than the load emitted when someone sneezes or coughs.
Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in feces and urine and its potential role in person-to-person transmission and the environment-based spread of COVID-19
David L Jones 1, Marcos Quintela Baluja 2, David W Graham 2, Alexander Corbishley 3, James E McDonald 4, Shelagh K Malham 5, Luke S Hillary 4, Thomas R Connor 6, William H Gaze 7, Ines B Moura 8, Mark H Wilcox 9, Kata Farkas 10
The recent detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in feces has led to speculation that it can be transmitted via the fecal-oral/ocular route. This review aims to critically evaluate the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, the quantity and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in feces and urine, and whether these pose an infection risk in sanitary settings, sewage networks, wastewater treatment plants, and the wider environment (e.g. rivers, lakes and marine waters). A review of 48 independent studies revealed that severe GI dysfunction is only evident in a small number of COVID-19 cases, with 11 ± 2% exhibiting diarrhea and 12 ± 3% exhibiting vomiting and nausea. In addition to these cases, SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in feces from some asymptomatic, mildly- and pre-symptomatic individuals. Fecal shedding of the virus peaks in the symptomatic period and can persist for several weeks, but with declining abundances in the post-symptomatic phase. SARS-CoV-2 RNA is occasionally detected in urine, but reports in fecal samples are more frequent. The abundance of the virus genetic material in both urine (ca. 102-105 gc/ml) and feces (ca. 102-107 gc/ml) is much lower than in nasopharyngeal fluids (ca. 105-1011 gc/ml). There is strong evidence of multiplication of SARS-CoV-2 in the gut and infectious virus has occasionally been recovered from both urine and stool samples. The level and infectious capability of SARS-CoV-2 in vomit remain unknown. In comparison to enteric viruses transmitted via the fecal-oral route (e.g. norovirus, adenovirus), the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 being transmitted via feces or urine appears much lower due to the lower relative amounts of virus present in feces/urine. The biggest risk of transmission will occur in clinical and care home settings where secondary handling of people and urine/fecal matter occurs. In addition, while SARS-CoV-2 RNA genetic material can be detected by in wastewater, this signal is greatly reduced by conventional treatment. Our analysis also suggests the likelihood of infection due to contact with sewage-contaminated water (e.g. swimming, surfing, angling) or food (e.g. salads, shellfish) is extremely low or negligible based on very low predicted abundances and limited environmental survival of SARS-CoV-2. These conclusions are corroborated by the fact that tens of million cases of COVID-19 have occurred globally, but exposure to feces or wastewater has never been implicated as a transmission vector.
Read more: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32836117/
Of course, most people don’t walk around in public naked – so in a sense we are already wearing butt masks in public, except when we do the business. A 2001 study suggested wearing clothes makes a significant difference to how how much environmental contamination can occur when someone farts.
Hot air?
“It all started with an enquiry from a nurse,” Dr Karl Kruszelnicki told listeners to his science phone-in show on the Triple J radio station in Brisbane. “She wanted to know whether she was contaminating the operating theatre she worked in by quietly farting in the sterile environment during operations, and I realised that I didn’t know. But I was determined to find out.”
Dr Kruszelnicki then described the method by which he had established whether human flatus was germ-laden, or merely malodorous. “I contacted Luke Tennent, a microbiologist in Canberra, and together we devised an experiment. He asked a colleague to break wind directly onto two Petri dishes from a distance of 5 centimetres, first fully clothed, then with his trousers down. Then he observed what happened. Overnight, the second Petri dish sprouted visible lumps of two types of bacteria that are usually found only in the gut and on the skin. But the flatus which had passed through clothing caused no bacteria to sprout, which suggests that clothing acts as a filter.
…
Read more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1121900/
Lets just say I’m not exactly panicking about the hypothesised flatulence mode of transmission. Sneezing, coughing and surface contamination seem far more likely routes to infection than flatulence, though it seems remotely plausible that the occasional transmission through flatulence may occur.
Correction (EW): Sars-CoV-2, not Covid-Sars-2…
It was known early on that WuWHOFlu virions or bits of them are found in sewage, which provided a check on asymptomatic infections.
But how to rule out the infected person’s having sneezed or coughed in the public toilet cubicle?
Sneezing and coughing is audible, but flatulence can be silent and deadly.
More they are silent, less they have power to spread.
Hey, I once cleared out an entire night-club with the ‘fart-and-walk’ maneuver after a muscle-builder protein shake, mixed with five raw eggs, and then chased with a 40 ouncer of Old English malt-liquor.
Walking through a room while farting is called crop dusting.
Hence….SBD
Asymptomatic farting?
A contradiction in terms … farting IS the symptom.
Not when concealed.
You’re right… the proper term would be assymptomatic transmission.
Especially when it’s a BOJO Brain-f..art
Pssssht!
Masks won’t protect against a fart either.
No, but a profound exhalation of intestinal gasses will certainly clear a room quite efficiently.
Makes social distancing quicker.
I would think it’d be hard to put on with your underwear in the way!
Yes but are not those those dog muzzles interchangeable with nappies – or as our American friends call the diapers ?
Yeah I got wind of that.
To me, this is just demonstrating more bad science — and it would seem to be not much more or less logical than what’s been promulgated as the reasons for mask wearing, if it comes to that?
The head posting says,
“Dr Kruszelnicki [and] Luke Tennent, a microbiologist in Canberra [devised an experiment showing the spread of] two types of bacteria that are usually found only in the gut .. suggests that clothing acts as a filter.”
So, a test for spread of *bacteria*, not viruses, which are far smaller, and which could reasonably be assumed to pass through cloth, paper, etc. about as easily as oxygen molecules do? Viruses may be substantially bigger than O2 molecules, but both O2 and viruses are smaller than the weave of cloth, or between paper fibres, say. Try pouring millet seeds through a sieve with holes too large to stop the seeds, would that be a good comparison?
For some reason I feel more angry than amused. We’ve been messed with on the basis of some very strange assumptions for far too long, that’s all.
The virus wouldn’t come out as an aerosol of just the virus. It would be stuck to something larger.
I’ve never seen anything along that line corroborated, though people seem to *say* any random thing at times. Viruses attach to much larger cells without dragging some much larger “bag” with them, but they are too shy to travel without baggage, I suppose?
Lots of papers on droplet and aerosol transmission of he virus. Aerosol refers to very small droplets of water containing the virus. That is research for the virus coming out of the higher orifice. Not sure its random to suggest something similar for the lower orifice.
like a stool?
Has there been another set of tests that reproduced and confirmed
the B S findings of Kruszelnicki and Tennent?
It’s extremely misleading.
Viruses are not seeds. And you are not pouring them. And the goal is not to filter them all out, unless we are talking surgical equipment or NBC protection.
Based on past experiences, I am much more concerned about Kimchi farts in a confined space where one cannot get away, than COVID farts.
Perhaps that old saying “Fart proudly” should be re-examined????
Wow This should be a fun thread to come back to in a couple of hours to read the comments.
Have fun,
Bob
Farting causes CC too, in so far, don’t eat beens, even if the UK will prescribe them as diet 😀
Especially not has beens or human beens
Grandma never said, “Pull my finger” but grandpa did.
FART — Fast Ass Rectal Transmission. Don’t mess with my trigger finger!
What about now:
“Arse corcks coming to you, soon, at markets nearby.”
“Two or three, for the price of one”
🤪
cheers
“One of your throats, already gagged… soon enough the other throat will be gagged too.”
😝
“Double gagging.The very epitome of modern free speech.”
🤓
Also;
“Soon to come.. arsehole vaccines”
😎
Well why not? China’s already introduced anal swab tests so it’s only a matter of time! I’m thinking of trademarking arvac, arsvac, covbum, bumcov, bumvac and others before Pfizer and Moderna get wind of the idea!
They call them vaxholes.
I don’t know about your cork idea. If that sucker let go, you could poke someone’s eye out.
Don’t panick.
Each package includes two arsehole cork shields… to be strapped over the cork… holding firm.
Till one gets to a “safe space”.
With all the “safe spaces” there, it will be ok I guess.
🙂
anyone remember the OLD joke about the farmer the pig and the monkey removing the cork???
Last thing i remember was the monkey trying to shove the cork back in.
Boris Buttocks
😃
knock knock
-“who is it?”
-“the fart licensing guy”
-“what do you want?”
-“according to our records there is no fart license fee paid for this address.“
-“go away, we don’t own no arse in this address, not anymore! Please go way”
Funny how aerosols come from other places too, isn’t it.
But this can be controlled too, by the mandated wearing of diapers indoors. Will it work?
It depends.
Will 2 layers be sufficient? Or will we be required to wear 4?
I think 2 lawyers will be more than sufficient, in most cases.
I see what you did there.
Will the next study be on queefs?
Otherwise known as a cat fart.
No more beans for you, Griffie.
This is so outrageous it must be true.
I smell fake news. More anti-trump bias!
Remember at the UN General Assembly when Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez referred to President Bush II as the devil because it smelled of sulfur around the place where Bush had spoken?
Silent but violent…
And liberating.
🧐
I am more concerned about transmission via warehouses and supermarkets.
There was a Chinese paper saying Covid could ‘live’ for four months on chilled foods, so any infected workers could pass Covid throughout the food-chain.
Nobody appears concerned by this. But if transmission is possible via supermarkets, this would negate the whole rationale of lockdowns. We may have been destroying our economies for no good reason.
RE
Hahahahaha. Sorry, I was mildly amused by the covid farting story but this had me rolling on the floor in stitches. A truly funny story.
If you’re susceptible to Covid, try your luck with a “vaccine”.
Otherwise, just accept you’ll get the disease, and will almost certainly be fine after a few days of mild illness.
The govd;
“Social distancing is a must.”
Arsehole;
“Brother, what is that… can you please ran it again by me, please!”
Thorry.
“Brother we are all in this together!”
😷
Yeap, I took the vaccine because I sure as heck don’t want to get the disease; side effects were minimal, less than those of the shingrix vaccine I got a year earlier. (I’m not sure why the quote marks, surely you’re not so stupid as to believe the vaccine isn’t a vaccine.)
It is not a conventional vaccine, and far worse, it is a leaky vaccine, creating millions of mutation experiments, very likely to create multiple vaccine resistant variations. ( It may not be a coincidence that the current iterations of the Wuflu , like the Delta variant, are vaccine resistant.)
Virology 101 is don’t use a leaky vaccine in a pandemic, especially true when effective medications are available.
Which is exactly what Nobel prize Prof Luc Mantagnier has been saying for a year.
(The discoverer of AIDS virus).
Of course the “med+pharma” profession are f..rting in his face for his temerity to suggest such a thing…
He even holds vaccinating children who have no danger from this thing is a criminal offence.
“…it is a leaky vaccine,”
That’s a new one from the anti-vax brigade
Better wear you mask while handling the stuff if you are scared of your food. / sarc
Not only a FFP2 mask but gas masks too now ?? 😀
The Chinese were hoping to get people to think that covid came from some other country on frozen seafood, rather than being something they caused. No, it can’t, and trying to argue against the lockdowns on this basis is simply buying into Chinese propaganda.
Because it’s non-news for the last few thousands of millennia, or so.
Most creatures using internet consume cooked food. Well, the Japanese may want to stop eating sushi to be on the safe side, but that’s about it.
I’m surprised they haven’t outlawed or put a tax on farting or at very least cancelled the perpetrators.
“Larry the Cable Guy” will certainly be at risk of cancellation! The Fart Police, the Thought Police, and the Evil White Male Police will be coming for him soon!
Somebody will try to introduce laws that force people to wear buttplugs when in public areas. Is there such a thing as a ‘PPE buttplug’? If not, might be a good time to invent one to cash in on the hysteria!
I’m waiting for the CDC/Dr. Fraudci recommendation for “a$$ masks”.
He will certainly recommend folk wear two, cause you two is better then one.
Ranchers can fashion match their cows.
Continuing evidence that some (too many) people have way too much time on their hands.
Members of government, in particular.
Hm.
Does this mean that I will have to build storage tanks for the farts from my flock of unicorns and sanitise the contents of the tanks before selling on the gas?
I’ll need to talk to the vet.
I’m not vaccinated and I fart in your general direction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBUl7oT9sA
Every time I fart I add to the viral load AND global warming…er I mean climate change.
time for some cauliflower 🙂
So the Chinese had a point in doing rectal swabs when checking for Covid.
Yes,
The point was to see how wimpy the OBiden State Department representatives were.
Very Wimpy was the answer.
And now the OBiden DOJ is dropping the investigation of 5 Chinese at colleges in the US started under TRUMP!
What a surprise.
Aw, shit!
” ….. two individuals from a [lavatory] cubicle in Australia”.
Get yourselves a room guys.
So the solution is ass masks? And will there be fart police checking to see that everyone is wearing a properly fitted ass mask?
Masks don’t provide source control of sub-micron aerosolized particles, and limited mitigation of droplet and fecal matter spread. That said, an anal chastity mask would mitigate HIV/AIDS transmission through a contaminated rectum (i.e. digestive tract) and penis.
You got there first. Congrats!
Unless you live in a nudist colony or have a habit of “going commando”, you probably are already wearing an ass mask in public – it’s called underwear!
Brand name: mASSks
How can you tell when a moth farts?
It flies in a straight line.
I guess the guy who farted was not breathing, cause if he was, they couldn’t eliminate the possibility that he was shedding virus from his lungs.
So he was already dead, just his as didn’t know yet.
Yeah, a decade of scientific papers proving masks don’t stop viruses, especially aerosolized viruses, but we can’t admit that anymore, so it must have been the farts.
Aerosols, maybe. Fecal matter, definitely. Wash your hands.
On a related funny…
Aerosol and Surface Distribution of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Hospital Wards, Wuhan, China, 2020
aerosol distribution characteristics in the ICU indicate that the transmission distance of SARS-CoV-2 might be 4 m
And the obligatory mask liability indemnity (shared/shifted responsibility) cargo cult science …
Postoperative wound infections and surgical face masks: a controlled study
Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers
Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses
Knowing the source of the virus, flatulence seems a likely vector … considering they eat bats.
Beware of bat farts
Ass masks are just pants
This is just bat fart crazy
Breaking . . .
Whoopee cushions now classified as terrorism weapons.
Biden administration vows to strengthen licensing regulations to control sales of semiautomatic whoopees.
Bump whoopee outlawed under Geneva Convention on Biological Warfare.
Beware of WMDs (Whoopees of Mass Distraction)
The only logical response to this finding is to make it illegal to fart.
We’ve made it illegal to go to work, walk outside without a mask, discouraged talking to your neighbours FFS, so why not make farting a crime too?
Ooh, and if you have plans to protest this, or maybe eat some indian food, we’ll label you as a boofhead, selfish, and just plain silly. Maybe fine you for good measure too.
Cris, wait until the Fart Police present the evidence in court!
Remember the story told by Rush Limbaugh about a woman being ticketed by a policeman for farding in her car?
I await the day someone farts in the capital and the press and left call it a terrorist biological attack.
These must be politicians that have been talking through their asses for so long that they have developed the ability to breathe through them.
Rectal breathing can be a life-saver.
Pigs can breathe oxygen via their rectum, so humans probably can too
Settled science : if you say “fart” 3 times, the Beast will come and you will be infected.
“fart fart fart”
Rectal filters! Which way to the patent office?