Las Vegas’s signature “Champagne showers” and VIP parties add to the normally vibrant summers. This year the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) compels us to use caution around crowds and public spaces. As a result, a Vegas day club or pool will look uncharacteristically empty. Marquee music acts and dance floors have been swapped for hand sanitizer stations, local DJs, and social distancing. Additionally, there are stringent cleaning protocols.
Most resort pools are currently restricted to hotel guests only. Some destination pools, such as the Wet Republic and Liquid Pool Lounge, are open only a few days a week.
So how do you enjoy yourself with so much precaution? Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting or spreading illness or other biohazards when visiting public swim areas and pool lounges.
Know Before You Go
Stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, or were recently exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Check to see if the public swim area, pool, water playground, or hot tub have precautionary steps in place to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. You can never be too careful. Bring supplies that help you stay safe. For example, a cloth face covering (or two, for each person, in case one gets wet), hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, disinfectant wipes, tissues, and paper towels are helpful barriers to germs.
Everyone in the Pool! (Or Not)
It is important to maintain social distancing in and out of the water. Wear cloth face coverings when you are not in the water and maintain social distancing. Even though you are swimming, you’ll come in contact with common items such as handrails, restroom stall hardware, common eating area tables and chairs. Don’t forget to wash your hands often with soap and avoid sharing objects with people outside of your immediate family.
Swimming does carry other health and safety risks. Visit the CDC’s Healthy Swimming website for information to help you prevent illness and minimize health risks so you can safely enjoy the fun and health benefits of swimming.
Remember that stay-at-home orders issued by the Las Vegas local and state government initiatives remain in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Is the risk worth the reward? Only you can make that call for yourself and your family.
Minimizing public means of travel is best and even delaying vacation travel that takes you far from home is a sensible precautionary step. Weight the odds carefully, especially if you or anyone in your traveling party has special health needs or has a compromised immunity.
Water Emergencies
There are numbers of situations that can turn fun into a medical emergency. Children are susceptible to ear infections, especially in unfamiliar water. Earaches can quickly become infections with a telltale sign of fever.
Dry Drowing
Although it can be fatal, it isn’t always. You can survive drowning if you get help right away.
You may have heard of the terms “dry drowning” and “secondary drowning.” Those aren’t actually medical terms. But they do point to rare complications that you should know about and that are more common in children.
With so-called dry drowning, water never reaches the lungs. Instead, breathing in water causes your child’s vocal cords to spasm and close. That shuts off airways, making it hard to breathe. You would start to notice those signs right away — it wouldn’t happen out of the blue days later. (Gardner 2017)
Lifeguard on Duty
Know the signs of distress when swimming, especially in children. Drowning statistics are awful. About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments (EDs) require hospitalization for further care. Elite Care on the Las Vegas Strip is your secondary life-guard on duty. We are open 24/7 and have Board Certified ER Physicians on staff to treat water related injuries and illness. We’ll give you a level of confidence that allows your to enjoy pools and water features in Las Vegas that makes our city a unique destination for relaxation, recreation and fun!
Works Cited
Hiller, Michael. “Las Vegas Pool Parties Won’t be so Splashy this Year. Here’s your Guide.” Los Angeles Times. July 2, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2020-07-02/guide-to-las-vegas-pool-season
Visiting Beaches and Pools. July 1, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/beaches-pools.html
Gardner, Amanda. “Dry Drowning & Secondary Drowning: Symptoms and Warning Signs.” WebMD. June 29, 2017. https://www.webmd.com/children/features/secondary-drowning-dry-drowning#1
